As Time Goes By
by Sophie5
Summary: Shuichi's gone missing! What new guise is he hiding under this time? Will Yuki be able to find him and apologize for what he'd done to his lover? And...what is it exactly that Yuki did to upset Shuichi to the point of fleeing to America? Chapter 9 UP!
1. Apart

**As Time Goes By**

**Disclaimer: **I am a poor, struggling college student and cannot afford a lawsuit on my hands. All credit goes to the creator of Gravitation: Maki Murakai.

(Note: Dialogue key:

-In English or languages familiar to both speakers.

-_Character thoughts_

- _**x**Sudden switch of language**x**_

_Chapter 1_

**Apart**

A gentle breeze passed through the air, brushing the ebony streaked blonde hair from the young man's amethyst eyes. He sighed half-heartedly against the wind's gentle touch as he looked out to the white sands of the beach before him, the tides lapping at the edges. It was mid-November and he was, naturally, the only person out on the beach during this time of the year in that sort of whether in Southern California. Clad in a large, gray hoodie and baggy, black denim pants, he searched his pockets for his pack of cigarettes. As he took note that he only had two cigarettes left, he cursed himself for not having bought another carton earlier that week. He put the cigarette in his mouth, lit it and took a long drag of the cigarette before letting the smoke leave his mouth. He didn't even bother to take the object out of his mouth.

A small smile formed on his lips as he realized just who he took this habit from. Hell, he was probably worse than that person now. Rubbing a hand through his blonde hair, he contemplated running out into the water just to get his feet wet for fun. What could it hurt? He sort of missed being silly and random at times. But he was scared of returning to that part of himself, for fear of being found.

Suddenly, his cell phone jingled that all-too familiar Nittle Grasper melody and he smiled. He removed the cell from his pocket and answered calmly, his voice no longer up beat and peppy as it had once been 4 years ago. "Yeah, this is Ken." he spoke in his now medium baritone voice. He'd been practicing on it.

"_Kenneth Davis! Get off the beach before you catch a cold or something you crazy thing you!"_ squealed an annoyed female voice on the other line.

The long ash fell from Kenneth's cigarette as his eyes widened. He turned his head to look in every direction but the speaker was nowhere in site. "Alright Maya, where are you hiding?"

Gales of laughter erupted on the other end. _"Like I'd _tell you!_ Why don't you try looking a bit harder?"_

Kenneth began walking away from the beach's edge and headed back towards the entrance gate. "Maya, this isn't funny. Now where the hell are you?"

Suddenly Kenneth felt himself being knocked down from behind, his face now smack in the middle of the sand. He struggled to turn his head to the side so that he wouldn't breath the grains of sand into his nose. He found himself glaring into the face of a beautiful, slender girl around 19 years old straddling his back. Her raven hair fell down the small of her back and her blonde tipped banes accented her equally beautiful hazel eyes. Her skin was a light brown color because of her mixed ethnic background. Clad in her white turtleneck sweater and dark blue jeans, she held a peace sign to Kenneth's face.

"Hiya Ken! Miss me?" Maya asked enthusiastically.

"Well I didn't miss your tackles. Now get off me will you? I kinda can't breathe."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Oops! Sorry there Ken! Here, let me help you." she apologized, then offered her hand to him and pulled him off the ground.

"How did you find me Maya?" Ken asked, dusting off the sand on his jeans. He glanced down and noticed that his cigarette was now totally ruined…he hadn't even gotten a chance to finish it halfway. "This had better be good Maya because I didn't even get to finish my cigarette and that was one of the two I had left." He stated, making sure to cut his eyes at her.

Maya stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh geez! I'll _buy_ you a new carton of them Ken! _I_ say you should quit. It's not good for you anyway!"

He smiled at hearing that remark. How many times had he said the exact same words to that certain someone of his past? Ken shook off those memories rather quickly, picked up his phone and, while putting it in his pocket, reached down and pulled out his pack and placed his last cigarette in his mouth. Since Maya had offered to buy him a new carton, he could smoke this last cigarette happily. His habit wasn't exactly cost effective.

He lit the cigarette and took another long drag, this time removing the item from his lips before releasing the smoke from his mouth. "I'll decide what's good for me. Anyway, you still haven't answered my question. How did you find me?"

Maya smiled. "Oh _please_ Ken! We've been roommates for nearly _2 years_ now! You _honestly _think I don't know where your 'time to think' moments take you? Besides, I've been worried about you these last couple of days." She stated, then paused. "Why did you leave the house all of a sudden and not tell me where you were going for the past _5 days?_ I was worried sick! I was surprised you _finally _decided to cut on your damn phone!"

Ken shrugged. "Dunno…just had some things on my minds is all. I needed time alone."

Maya was about to say some witty remark to that last statement, but decided to leave it alone. She sighed. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now. I'm just glad to know that you're alright. Where are your things?"

"On my bike."

"Okay, well let's go home. Did you bring an extra helmet? I took the bus to get here."

"No, but you can wear mine." Ken said, then smirked as he smoked the last remnant of his cigarette and tossed the butt away. "I'll try not to get us pulled over."

Maya arched an eyebrow. "That's comforting. I'd appreciate it very much thanks."

Ken chuckled and took Maya by the hand, leading her up the hill towards his dark red, Suzuki motorcycle. After securing the helmet onto her head, he patted her contentedly and laughed as she made a face that looked similar to a child about to have a tantrum. He leaped onto his bike and waited for Maya to wrap her arms around his waist and rest her head against his shoulder blade. Ken knew that when she did this, it was safe for him to take off. After revving up the engine a few times, he sped off the curb and raced down the road, heading toward their apartment inside the bustling metropolis of San Diego California.

* * *

_**x**"Damn it all to hell!"**x**_ screamed Yuki Eiri as he deleted yet another document that was supposed to have been a new novel.

For some reason he just wasn't getting his bearings today. His editor was going to kill him for real this time. This was the fourth possible novel he'd scrapped in the past 3 months. Every time he would get inspired to write a new novel and the ideas seemed as though they would piece together perfectly. As soon as Yuki began to type, however, all those ideas seemed to vanish with a drop of a hat.

His last novel was a greatest hit compared to the two he had released two years prior. Yuki's last book, titled "Reunion" was about the emotional reuniting of lovers who'd been separated because of misunderstandings in the past. The girl, too shocked by her lover's actions, had fled from the country and hidden herself away so well that no matter how strong the bond was between the two, he could not find her. But, after years of searching, he passes by her in the street. It was as if God himself had chosen to smile down on him at that moment and allowed to two lovers to be reunited once more. They had longed for the other so passionately and all past qualms were forgiven. It was a great way to end the book.

This was when Yuki had decided to find Shuichi no matter what the cost. Because of his stupid actions, he'd hurt Shuichi beyond all known reason and caused his lover to flee without a second thought. For over a year he'd been island hopping across Japan, avoiding the others at all cost. It wasn't until recently that they'd discovered he fled to America and for nearly 2 years! He'd left his band, Bad Luck, in total disarray. Shuichi's sudden decision to leave caused Bad Luck to go on hiatus. After all, none of the others could sing and Hiro and Fujisaki firmly disagreed on the idea of a replacement for Shuichi. It just wasn't going to be Bad Luck without him.

Yuki lit a cigarette and was about to smoke it, but then suddenly cursed and put it out immediately. He had decided that if he really wanted to get Shuichi back, he'd have to make some changes on his personality. _**x**"That damn baka Wait until I get my hands on him."**x**_ he muttered, shoving the ash tray far away from him. _**x**"I'll drag him back to Japan kicking and screaming if I have to."**x**_

Yuki got up from his desk and walked towards the window of his temporary apartment. He looked down at the busy streets of New York City. God, how he _hated _this city to its very pits. But, his sources said that someone had last spotted a person matching Shuichi's description in New York about a year ago. He figured the brat's income wasn't steady and knew he wouldn't touch his savings for fear of being traced. The novelist figured he was still living in New York under the guise of a new name and new physical appearance. Yuki had been here a full year and there was neither hide nor hair of Shuichi anywhere.

He pulled a photo out from his pocket and looked at the picture his P.I. had given him upon locating Shuichi. Shuichi's loud, pink hair was no more. He'd grown his hair out a little past his shoulders and had dyed it back to its natural black color. This time, however, he had dyed the tips royal blue. His left ear was pierced with a simple silver hoop. Shuichi was about 20 in the picture and, surprisingly, had an eye for fashion. This was a huge contrast to the once "color blind" imp who simply dressed in what was flashy and comfortable. Clad in a dark blue button up dress shirt and black slacks, he completed the outfit with a sharp black blazer and a black silk tie that accented his amethyst eyes beautifully.

_**x**God, he's changed so much. I barely even recognize him!**x** _thought Yuki as he stared at the photo. _**x**He's gotten so handsome.**x** _

He flipped the photo over and tried to make sense of the P.I.'s scribbles.

**Name: Justin Chapman**

**Occupation: Record Store Manager**

**Age: 20**

**Mr. Eiri, I believe this might be the Shuichi Shindou you've been searching for. He arrived in New York about two years ago and was said to have bright pink hair when he went in for the job review. He turned in his resignation two years ago, but no one has reported him leaving the city yet. Good Luck Mr. Eiri. If you need any more information, you know to contact me and I'll help as best I can.**

**Sincerely,**

**Mark Smith**

Yuki flipped the photo over once more and smiled at the picture. Yeah, that was his Shuichi alright. He looked like a true businessman. But what disturbed Yuki was the serious expression on his face. It wasn't the look of a child wanting to throw a tantrum like he was used to. It was the look of a man who was hiding behind a dark veil to hide his feelings deep in his heart. Yuki wondered if he ever laughed even once after leaving him back in Japan.

Yuki's cell phone rang out with the melody "Glaring Dream," the song that Shuichi had written for him and the song that had saved him from committing suicide in that musky apartment in New York. He made his way over to the coffee table and answered the phone in his usual, gruff tone. "Hello? This is Eiri." There was slight pause and Yuki's eyes widened, a small gasp escaping his throat. _**x**"Tohma! What did you just say! You found where Shuichi might be!"**x**_

"_Yes Eiri-san. I think we might have just located Shindou-san."_ replied the ever-calm Tohma.

"Well, where the hell is he? Is he in New York?" Yuki asked desperately.

"_I'm afraid not. He recently removed some money from his bank account here in Japan. It wasn't much to be too noticeable. It was only four hundred dollars. Apparently he'd just recently bought a few motorcycle parts in San Diego, California."_

Yuki's eyes widened. _S-San Diego…_California!_ How in the hell did he make it to California in a year without removing a _drop _of his savings? And why did he decide to pull money out for a few _motorcycle parts?

"_Eiri-san?. Eiri-san. Eiri-san!" _

The novelist snapped back into reality, more determined than he had been before. Shuichi must have found out that he was looking for him and fled to the other side of the States! "Tohma! Take care of my business here in New York. I'm going to contact my realtor this instant and get this place sold and I'm going to find a new place in San Diego."

Tohma sighed on the other end of the phone. _"Eiri-san. What if Shindou-san doesn't _wish _to be found? What if he doesn't want to come back with you Eiri-san? Do you think your will alone will change his mind?" _

Yuki ran and snatched his black trench coat off the rack and slung it half hazardly over his shoulders, smiling. "_**x**No_._**x** _But it's a start."

**To be continued…**

**

* * *

**

**Author's Notes:** So, what did you guys think of that? Did you like it? Did you hate it? I'm attempting to write this story for a friend of mine for her birthday present and she's a huge fan of Gravitation. Hopefully I pulled the story off well, considering I'm a huge fan of Gravitation myself. **Micheru** I hope you like it! smiles Look forward to the next chapter: Title possibly going to be called – Just Around the Corner…


	2. Just Around the Corner

**As Time Goes By**

**Disclaimer: **I am a poor, struggling college student and cannot afford a lawsuit on my hands. All credit goes to the creator of Gravitation: Maki Murakai.

(Note: Dialogue key:

-In English or languages familiar to both speakers.

-_Character thoughts_

- _**x**Sudden switch of language**x**_

_Chapter 2_

**Just Around the Corner**

-1 Week Later-

"Wake up Ken!"

Ken groaned in annoyance and instinctively wrapped the covers over his head. Maya nudged again but he simply slapped her hand away. "Go away Maya" he mumbled.

"Ken! Get up! It's going to be one soon! Do you want to be late for work _again!_"

He sat bolt upright, amethyst eyes wide from distress. "Oh shit!" Ken streaked from his bed clad in his boxers and a t-shirt, blonde hair in total disarray.

Maya simply sighed as he blew past her and she proceeded to make his bed as Ken desperately attempted to get ready in less than thirty minutes. She thought she would have been used to this by now after living with the bum for nearly two years. Somehow, he always managed to surprise her. Maya remembered the first time she had laid eyes on Ken. He was raven-haired back then and his tips were dyed royal blue. He only had one pair of clothes and it was a disheveled business suit. He'd looked like he'd just escaped a street brawl, his nose and mouth streaming blood. Maya was almost frightened of him and had thought about turning tail and running the hell out of the area, but his eyes were what kept her at a stand still. Ken had those piercing, amethyst eyes that beckoned her to help him in his struggles. How could she say no or leave such a person alone in the streets?

After she finished fixing Ken's bed, she looked behind her and saw Ken running around frantically in the living room. She giggled and made her way out of his room into their fairly large living room space. Ken's hair was still disheveled and he was only clad in a pair of baggy, navy blue jeans. She admired his well-toned torso and fit biceps. Maya recalled how Ken was so weak after she had brought him home that he couldn't even dress his own wounds. He wasn't as physically fit back then as he was now. She made sure that he took better care of his body during the years they stayed with each other. However, Maya also had to suppress the feelings she had for Ken deep inside of her. He had mentioned from the beginning that he wanted to start his life over, but that he was not focusing on being in a relationship with anyone. At hearing that, Maya had kept her feelings in check but they were beginning to fester inside of her.

Ken suddenly tripped over the couch and crashed on the other side with a loud "thud." She heard him moan in agony and frustration and she immediately rushed over to where he was. Maya burst into laughter as she saw him all tangled up with the sofa cushions, his arms and legs in every direction. Ken's face scrunched into a frown and he crossed his arms against his chest.

"It's not funny dammit!"

Maya paused from her fit of laughter. "So says you! What is _wrong _with you!"

Ken blew a strand of his blonde hair from his face. "Forget it. Maya, where the hell is my good shirt?"

She blinked a few times. "Good shirt? What good shirt?" she asked, then it occurred to her. "Oh, you mean your favorite blue button up? It should be hanging outside with the other laundry on the patio."

Ken got off the floor, irritated, and made his way to the dryer in the laundry room. He snatched out a muscle shirt and quickly pulled it over his head. "Such a nuisance. You didn't have to wash it. It was clean already." he muttered.

The half-Indian girl scoffed, hands crossed firmly against her chest. "That's what you think! I'll have you know because of your little _escapade_ on Sunday, that shirt stank of sweat and rain. Not to mention because you were so drunk you slipped and fell into a huge mud puddle! The stain on the back of the shirt was proof of that!"

Maya stomped over to the laundry line, ripped the shirt from the line and threw it in Ken's face furiously. Ken blinked several times and opened his mouth to respond but stopped at seeing Maya's tears.

"I was up all day and night trying to wash that stain out because I knew that was your favorite shirt! If you care about it so damn much then how about not doing stupid things while wearing it, you jerk!"

Ken was taken aback and his brows furrowed over his amethyst eyes. She could see the pained expression on his face and was suddenly guilty to have gotten so upset. "Maya, I-"

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm sorry to have gotten all bent out of shape about it. Hurry and get ready for work. Why are you wearing your best shirt to work anyway Ken?"

"Well, I have another interview with this guy who's interested in having a male lead vocalist in his band. The pay is good and it's a local band so I won't have to travel much so you won't be left alone."

"Really! That's great Ken! I knew you were a great singer, but I never thought you'd actually consider doing lead vocal for real band. What kind of music do they play?"

Ken smiled. "Well, it's a mix of alternative, rock, and trance. It should be interesting."

Maya searched her pockets and handed Ken a wad of money. "Use that to get you something to eat. I'll be heading out to work soon after you leave so just call me if you're going to be early or late. That way I'll know whether to waste my time cooking dinner for you."

Ken shrugged into his blue button up, leaving it open for the time being, and then slid his coat on over it while grabbing his keys. "I'll see ya later Maya."

Maya smiled and waved goodbye. "Be safe!" She sighed as Ken closed the door shut behind him. "Stupid. I hope he does well at the interview."

* * *

"Mr. Eiri Yuki! It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" spoke a middle-aged gentleman as he led Yuki to a couch to sit.

Yuki nodded in response. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Granger." Yuki took note of the cup of coffee that was placed in front of him. He picked it up and took a sip. Except for it being slightly bitter, the taste was fine.

"Well, as Mr. Seguchi mentioned to me, he says that you're interested in writing lyrics as a part time job while working on your latest novel here in San Diego."

Yuki gave a slight nod. "Yes, it's an easy way to earn money while thinking of ways to help my novel progress."

Mr. Granger placed a thoughtful hand under his chin. "Well, there aren't any big time musicians who need help writing their lyrics. Why not try getting hired by some of the local Indie Bands? They pay decently for outside writers and they're new. Some of the lyricist might actually appreciate the help and it may even help them with their latest song they're attempting to write."

Yuki smirked. _**x**If I know Shuichi like I think I do…no matter how badly he's trying to hide from me, he won't escape the chance to sing on stage. It's his life practically.**x**_

"Alright, I'll do it. Can you give me the list of local Indie bands?"

Mr. Granger nodded. "Sure, here you go." he said, and then handed Yuki a sheet of paper with a list of eight different bands. "These are the most popular in the area as rated by the public. Also, the ones marked on the sides are the ones who are currently looking for new lead vocalist as per your request."

Yuki skimmed the sheet, eyeing the names of the ones that would possibly be the most appealing to Shuichi to join.

**Cascade**

**White Flame - -**

**Rabid Junk - -**

**Black Omen - -**

**Justice**

**Falter - -**

**Shadow Jump - -**

**R.A.G.E. - -**

Yuki's brows furrowed over his amber eyes. _**x**So out of the eight groups, six need new lead vocalists. This is going to be a pain in this ass to figure out.**x**_

After Yuki said goodbye to Mr. Granger and called Tohma to let him know he was actually grateful for once, he proceeded out of the building and paused on the sidewalk. Suddenly a young man with layered blonde, ebony streaked hair raced past him, almost knocking Yuki over. After yelling "Sorry" over his shoulder at the novelist, he disappeared around the corner of the next building over, clad in a blue button up shirt and navy blue baggy jeans. For just a split second, Yuki thought he'd seen the slightest image of Shuichi show in the profile view of the young man.

The novelist quickly shook this idea out of his head and sighed, walking towards his black sports car. "We may be in the same city now, but there's no way it could be _that_ easy for me to locate that damn fool."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know, I'm mean huh? Well, anyway what did you guys think of this chapter? I almost wanted Yuki and Shuichi to run into each other right there, but I think I'll wait for that to happen later. As for the next chapter's title…I'm not sure what I'm going to call it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Ja ne!


	3. Unwelcome Discovery

**As Time Goes By**

**Disclaimer: **I am a poor, struggling college student and cannot afford a lawsuit on my hands. All credit goes to the creator of Gravitation: Maki Murakai.

(Note: Dialogue key:

-In English or languages familiar to both speakers.

-_Character thoughts_

- _**x**Sudden switch of language**x**_

_Chapter 3_

**Unwelcome Discovery**

"Wait! Wait one second please!" cried Ken as he raced down the hall to the open elevator on the other end. A young man carrying a stack of papers simply blinked his eyes at him. "Hold that elevator dammit!"

The man, somewhat thrown off, placed his foot in the path of the closing door and caused the elevator sensor to open the door once more. Ken rushed passed him and almost slammed into the wall of the elevator. After catching his breath, Ken thanked the man as he told him what floor button to push.

"Are you late for an appointment of some sort?"

Ken shook his head as he began buttoning his over shirt. "No, I'm not late at all. I'm actually fifteen minutes early for my interview."

The man arched an eyebrow. "Then why-?"

Ken smiled his goofy smile. "Well, what better way to make a first impression than by being extremely prompt."

He smirked. "That's good insight."

The elevator dinged for the 8th floor and the young man stepped off, wishing Ken good luck. His interview was to be held on the 12th floor of the building so he decided to continue to catch his breath as he finished buttoning up his shirt. As he did so, he began to ponder over what had occurred prior to him entering the building. He'd almost knocked this man over on the sidewalk while trying to get here. Just at a slight glance, he thought that it was…

Ken shook his head. _No…there's no way it could be him. I mean, I left New York the moment I found out he was on his way to the States. I took every precaution necessary to avoid him._ he thought, then sighed as he gently tapped the back of his head against the wall. _But, there was that time I pulled money out of my savings account to repair my bike. That was so _stupid _of me, but I had no choice at the time. He really _might_ be here._

The elevator dinged, signaling that Ken had finally reached the 12th floor. He left two buttons undone on his shirt and stepped out, running a hand through his blonde hair in a last-ditch effort to fix it. He walked a few paces and then turned to his right and walked down another corridor. Ken's heart raced as he continued to ponder whether or not he should really get into this again. He thought he'd left the music business behind when he decided to run away from his past. But, the young musician knew that he just couldn't place his most passionate hobby in the back of the closet. A nagging idea kept tugging at the back of his mind though. Even if it was just an Indie band in the States, there was no telling if they'd ever go big. Going big meant going public and going public meant being seen.

Ken sighed as he knocked on the door of where his interview was to be held. _I guess I'll just cross that bridge when I get to it. No regrets now Shuichi. You can do this! You don't need that damn Yuki anymore and you won't have to deal with his crap. You've survived this long without his help and you sure as hell aren't gonna go crawlin' back to him now! Ikuzo, Shuichi!_

"Come in." said a voice on the other side.

Ken entered the room and was suddenly stunned by the dimmed lights and many lanterns in the room. He thought for a moment, and just a moment, that he was at a street market in Japan again. He smiled as his eyes met with the four members of the band he was to be "judged" in front of. They returned the smile gratefully and gestured to a chair across the coffee table from them. It was to be a face-off apparently.

"Glad you decided to come, Kenneth Davis. You're twelve minutes earlier than the scheduled interview time." said the guy with shoulder-length brunette hair.

Ken sat. "I was never on time for anything to save my life in the past. I figured the best way to change my life is by getting rid of all my faults."

A young man with ear-length, jet black hair nodded. "Good philosophy to live by."

"So Kenneth, anything you want to tell us before we begin?" asked the guy with chin-length, mouse brown hair.

A click was heard. Ken looked over and saw that a platinum blonde haired guy had lit a cigarette. His hair also had dark red highlights through the neck length tresses. He took a drag from his cigarette and saw that Ken was looking at him intently. The blonde smiled and handed him his lit cigarette. Ken took the cigarette from him happily and inhaled a long drag himself, letting the smoke leave his nostrils.

Ken put the cigarette out in a nearby ash tray and smiled. "You can call me Ken. Just Ken."

There was a long pause after Ken's simple statement. The guy with blonde hair had an even bigger grin on his face than previously. As Ken moved from his face to the rest, he slowly made eye contact with each member of the group and they all smiled back at him, their eyes somewhat glittering. After he'd made eye contact with each member, he returned his gaze back to the guy with blonde hair and saw that his eyes were now closed. When he opened them again, Ken was shocked to discover that they were a color of pale jade. He was absolutely breathtaking.

The guy stretched his hand out to Ken and he took it, both firmly gripping the other's hands in a strong handshake. "Ken." he said, then paused to look deeply into the eyes of the interviewee. "Welcome to Falter."

"Thanks. Hope I make you proud."

-3 Days Later-

Yuki sighed as he entered the elevator from the 18th floor of the Indie musician's building. He pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and scratched out both _White Flame _and _Rabid Junk _from the list. He had gone to see _Black Omen _earlier that week and his vocalist was a no-show. Of course, no one could know who Shuichi Shindou was because Shuichi wasn't stupid enough to use his real name anywhere except on stage. He hardly ever used it in public back in Japan.

Frustrated, Yuki pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and was about to light it. He realized he was in an elevator and grumbled, putting the cigarette back in the pack. "I'm never going to be able to smoke anymore. Damn that Shuichi."

He looked back at the list and sighed. _So the only ones left are **Falter, Shadow Jump, **and **R.A.G.E.**_ Yuki thought, exiting the elevator as he hit the 12th floor. _I bet you that **Falter **won't give me the answers I want any more than the other three had I better give them a call before I decide to waste my time._

Yuki pulled his cell phone out and dialed _Falter_. It rang a few times before someone answered.

"_Yes, this is James Kidder."_

"Mr. Kidder, this is Eiri Yuki. I was calling about the job offer on writing lyrics for a vocalist. Tell me, have you hired on a vocalist yet?"

He could hear James smiling on the other end. _"We have actually. Good singer and great stage presence. We hired him a few days ago. He's actually written one or two songs with some riffs we've made."_

The novelist sighed. "So what you're saying is that you don't need me, right?"

"_That's not it at all Mr. Yuki. We have a gig coming up pretty soon, but we have four more riffs that need lyrics to them. Ken is good, but with juggling practice on his own part and trying to write deep, meaningful lyrics, it's wearing him out. We really need your help Mr. Yuki."_

"Alright, are you in the studio now or in your room? I'd like to meet the vocalist and exchange some ideas with him and see what would be most comfortable."

"_Sure! We're in our room right now. We're takin' five for the time being and then we're going back to rehearse. Ken went to the bathroom to wash up. He'll be back soon so you'll get a chance to meet him."_

"Good. See you soon." Yuki said, then hung up the phone as he turned the corner. _So, his name is Ken huh? Wonder if it's Shuichi._

_

* * *

_

"_So how are things with the band Ken? Are they going well?"_ asked Maya on the other line.

Ken wiped his hands clean with a paper towel and smiled. "Yeah, it's going great! This band is awesome and I _really_ like their style of doing things. They're organized but know how to have fun on stage _and_ off stage!"

Maya laughed. _"Well that's good. Have they paid you yet? I mean, you _did_ quit your other job yesterday."_

"Well, I'm going to get paid tomorrow. We're supposed to be meeting our temporary lyricist today to go over some things and to see what would be most comfortable for me to sing to on stage. After we discuss the payment methods with him, we'll discuss my pay afterwards. Since he's temporary, the guys decided it would be better to give him what he wants first." he explained.

"_Mmm. Well, that makes sense. Say, I still can't believe they let you join the band just because you accepted a cigarette from them! What was _with_ that interview?"_

Ken laughed. "Well, they said their reasons of not asking me to audition were simple. They could tell my voice singing range by how I talked. They also knew I'd been running earlier, but that I still had good breath support because my voice never wavered any when I spoke. The accepting of the cigarette was showing that I trusted them and that I didn't complain about what brand of cigarette it was. According to them, this meant that I'm humble and easy to get along with."

"_I think they were just boosting your ego."_

"You brat! Don't be like that!"

Maya laughed continuously on the other line. Ken's brows furrowed as he exited the restroom. _"I'm just kidding. Anyway, I know you have to go to rehearsal soon right?"_

Ken proceeded down the hallway and was about to enter the dressing room of _Falter_ when he suddenly stopped. There were voices inside, one standing out a little more than the others. "Yeah, but we're just taking a break now."

"_Well, what do you want for dinner? Will you be home late?"_

"Not too late I don't think." he answered, then placed his hand on the door knob. He'd listened to all the guys' voices the last few days and could pick out any one of them. But one stood out and it was so familiar to him…from where? He didn't know that answer.

"_Alright. Well, what would you like?"_

Ken opened the door and everyone turned to look at him. James, the guy with the shoulder length brown hair smiled and motioned for Ken to come in. Benny, the ebony topped guy was enjoying his glass of scotch while Russell, the guy with mouse-brown hair, poured a glass of scotch himself. Christian, the platinum blonde, smiled and tossed Ken a pack of cigarettes. The singer caught them. The guys were all huddled in a group, just standing around idly.

Christian smirked. Ken had gotten used to that. "So, you finally showed up. We were scared you'd fallen in the toilet or something."

"_Ken?"_

Ken lit the cigarette he'd placed in his mouth, tossing the pack back to Christian. "Whatever, only Benny would do something like that."

"Fuck you Ken." Benny said over his glass, a smile on his face. Everyone laughed.

"_Kenneth!"_

"Oh, sorry Maya! How about your Super Special? I love that dish!"

James sauntered over and placed his cheek against Ken's hand that was holding the phone, listening in. Maya giggled. _"Okay, my Super Special it is!"_

"Maya? Can we come over for dinner too?" asked James in his whiny, child-like voice. The other guys laughed as Ken tried to pry himself away from James.

"_Huh? Ken, who is that? Do your band guys want to come over for dinner too? They're more than welcome! I want to meet them!"_

James smiled and looked at the others. "You hear that boys? We're havin' dinner at Ken's place tonight!"

They all cheered their "alright's" and "yeah's" in the background.

"Am I invited as well?" asked a semi-deep voiced person in the back.

Ken opened his eyes from laughter and turned in the direction of where the voice was coming from. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he almost let go of the phone had it not been for James clutching on to his hand. Emerging from the shadows was a blonde haired, amber eyed man who looked more foreign than he did Asian. But he was, in fact, Asian. Ken's lips parted slightly in shock, but closed as his blonde brows furrowed over his eyes, his anger slowly rising.

Christian saw the expression take shape on Ken's face and walked over to their vocalist, detaching the phone from his fingers and gently shoving James to the side. "Hi, Maya is it? ...Wow, you sound beautiful. Listen, we're about to rehearse soon so we'll see you tonight then? ...Great, because I look forward to meeting you myself. Okay, goodbye."

James placed a hand on Ken's shoulders and gently pushed him forward toward the amber-eyed man. "Ken Davis, let me introduce to you Eiri Yuki. He'll be on board with _Falter_ temporarily as our lyricist. Mr. Yuki is also a top novelist in Japan and his novels are even popular here as well. Mr. Eiri Yuki, this is our new lead vocalist, Ken Davis."

Yuki held out his hand to shake Ken's. Ken hesitated momentarily before reaching out and grasping the novelist's in a firm grip. _Maybe he doesn't recognize me yet. I've changed too much over the past few years and I've even changed the timbre of my voice. Just don't give yourself away Shuichi. It may be Yuki, but dammit all, stay focused!_

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Davis. I look forward to working with you." Yuki said, a small smile on his lips as he gazed slightly downward at Ken.

"Likewise. Just call me Ken."

-A Few Hours Later-

After getting rid of most of the sweat from their bodies, _Falter _and Eiri Yuki exited the huge complex and headed towards the parking lot. Christian and Russell had taken their vehicles while the others car pooled to the studio. After deciding that Ken was to ride with Christian in his two-seater convertible, Benny and James piled into Russell's Toyota and sped off after Ken had given them directions. Ken hoisted his skateboard over his shoulder as Christian walked off to warm up the engine of his drop-top convertible. Yuki had not yet pulled off in his black sports car. He was to follow Christian to Ken's place.

Ken was about to hop into the passenger's side but felt a hand fall on his shoulder. He froze momentarily, only letting his eyes shift to the sides to glance back at the novelist. _Awe shit._

"Tell me, Mr. Davis. You don't look American at all. In fact, you possess more Asian attributes than me. Were you actually born in the States?" interrogated Yuki.

Ken smirked. "That's very perceptive of you. No, I wasn't born in the States. According to the orphanage I was raised in, I was foreign born and immigrated to America." He turned around and faced Yuki. "Anything else you'd like to ask?"

Yuki's amber eyes narrowed as a small smile formed on the corners of his lips. "Yes. When are you going to quit playing these games and running away?"

Ken felt his anger flare up, resisting the urge to smack Yuki in the face with his skateboard. Instead, he took a step closer towards the novelist, glaring up at him. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about. But, I advise that you don't push me."

"Hey Ken! The car's all warmed up and ready to go. I'm starving!" Christian called from the other side of the parking lot.

As the young singer turned away from Yuki, he paused. "If you know what's best for you, you'll stay the fuck out of my way. I don't need big shots like you thinking that they can control my life."

* * *

**Author's Note:** O.O Okay, so is Shuichi the epitome of bad assedness or what? I mean, he even sends chills up my little back. Yuki must've done something really stupid to piss Shuichi off this badly. Stick around and find out in the next installment of _As Time Goes By_. As for the next chapter's title…I really don't know yet. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!


	4. Icy Heart

**As Time Goes By**

**Disclaimer: **I am a poor, struggling college student and cannot afford a lawsuit on my hands. All credit goes to the creator of Gravitation: Maki Murakai.

(Note: Dialogue key:

-In English or languages familiar to both speakers.

-_Character thoughts_

- _**x**Sudden switch of language**x**_

_Chapter 4_

**Icy Heart**

Christian Palmer had just called over to him in the nick of time. He was actually scared that Ken was going to do something extremely stupid and violent to the novelist. The body language he emitted was hostile and the last thing Christian needed was to break-up a fight. He'd been in too many in the past and refused to have to handle issues with his fists or fool with people who chose to do so. Besides, they needed Eiri Yuki's skills for the time being.

Christian shifted from second gear to third swiftly, glancing at Ken from the corner of his eye as he watched the young singer stare out of his window. For some reason, Ken looked strangely familiar to the musician. It was like he'd seen him on television or on a poster somewhere. As a matter of fact, he could almost swear that Ken Davis looked like his idol that went missing four years ago: Shuichi Shindou, the lead vocalist of Japan's famous Bad Luck.

"You alright Ken?" asked Christian as he shifted to fourth gear.

Ken looked over at him and gave a small smile. "Yeah. Snobs like him just grate on my nerves though. They think they know every damn thing and try to push their intelligence on others. People like him are always the ones who stab you in the back in the end." he replied, facing the window again. "Makes me sick to my stomach."

Christian arched an eyebrow as he changed lanes. "Really? It seemed like you knew Yuki from before or had some kinda grudge with him in the past."

Ken chuckled. "What gave you _that_ idea?"

He rubbed a hand through his platinum blonde hair, gently pressing down on the gas pedal. "Just a feeling I had. Anyway, so what's this Maya chick to you? A girlfriend perhaps?"

"No. Just a friend. She saved my life." Ken said, a now more gentle smile forming on his lips.

"Now I _really _want to meet this girl. She cute?"

"Beautiful. Oh, make a left here and it'll be the seventh house on the right. She should have the porch light on."

Suddenly Ken's phone jingled the song "Sleepless Beauty," one of Nittle Grasper's top chart pieces. Maya was on the other line, inquiring where Ken was. After explaining that they were almost there, he hung up. Christian smiled as he made the left and mentally counted the houses. "A fan of Nittle Grasper?"

With his peripheral vision, he saw Ken gaping at him. "You've heard of _Nittle Grasper!_"

"Yeah, they're awesome. The guys and I are huge fans of Bad Luck though. We actually formed Falter because of Bad Luck. We think the Japanese know what they're doing as far as musicians go. Is this the house?"

"Yeah. Oh, and I see Russell and the others made it in one piece."

The two stepped out of the car, watching as Yuki pulled up and parked on the curb near the house. They waited for the novelist to get out and then proceeded toward the front door. Maya must have heard them pull up because as soon as Ken opened the door, she pounced on him and embraced his neck happily as he laughed. Christian smiled at the cheerful exchange, catching the somewhat irritated expression of Yuki that lasted only a second.

Maya smiled and gestured for them to come inside. "I'm sorry. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. Dinner's almost ready."

* * *

Maya showed Ken and his two other friends inside the living room. She smiled as she saw Russell and Benny going head-to-head in Dead or Alive 2. It was one of her favorite fighting games and she had gotten really good as of late. Maya was absolutely determined to beat Ken even if it killed her. James just sat leisurely on the couch, laughing occasionally at the frustrations of either Russell or Benny as they proceeded to pound each other.

"Maya, why'd you have to go and let them get on the PS2?" Ken asked, exasperated.

Maya shrugged. "Well, they got here so quickly and were bored waiting on you guys so I let them play. I wasn't done with dinner yet so I couldn't just feed them."

After Benny cried out in anger at losing to Russell again, he handed the controller to James to take over. Benny tossed some of his hair away from his pale blue eyes. "Maya can kick ass, let me tell you. She's already told us about her goal to beat you down in this game. She already beat the hell out of James, Russell, _and_ me!"

"You suck at video games anyway Benny." said Russell, back turned to the others as he proceeded to unleash a lethal combo with Kasumi.

"Fuck you Russell."

Maya giggled. "Well, I know about those guys so how about these other two Ken?"

Ken nodded and placed a hand on a fairly tall, platinum blond guy who had dark red streaks through his neck length hair. "This is Christian Palmer. He plays lead guitar. Chris, this is Maya Kinsburrow."

Christian grabbed Maya's hand and kissed the back of it gently. She blushed. "Nice to meet you Miss Kinsburrow."

"Just Maya please. And who is this guy Ken? Is he a member too? I thought you said there were only the five of you?" she asked as she stared at the tall, handsome blonde man. His amber eyes, however, frightened her just a bit.

She noted that Ken's amethyst eyes darkened just for a moment. _Is he mad?_

"This is Eiri Yuki and he's our lyricist, _temporarily_." Maya also noticed that Ken said the last part through clenched teeth.

Maya smirked, raising one of her eyebrows. _Yep. He's mad._

The sound of the oven dinging brought her back to reality. "Alright everyone, you can head on over to the table. Dinner's ready!"

* * *

At the dinner table, Yuki studied all of the young people's expressions as they ate. The dish, known as Maya's "Super Special," was an amazingly tasteful Indian dish that reminded him of a spicy kind of rice pilaf. He also replayed what had transpired in the parking lot earlier inside his head. Yuki always knew how Shuichi could get when he was angry, but he never recalled him being so vicious in the past. His words actually caused Yuki to freeze up momentarily.

Suddenly everyone laughed, bringing Yuki back to reality. Benny had attempted to snatch some food off of Russell's plate and got stabbed by Russell's fork in the process. While Benny whimpered, Russell continued to eat his food as if nothing had happened. Yuki glanced over at "Ken" and could see the laughter cover his entire face. "Shuichi Shindou" appeared whenever he laughed or smiled. He could change everything from his hair color, eye color, voice, and clothing style but Shuichi would always give himself away when he laughed or smiled.

Yuki felt an ache well up inside of his chest and his eyes furrowed as he gazed upon his former lover. _Four years…four years and I've finally found you Shuichi. Won't you at least give me a chance to make-up for the wrong I've done?_

He saw Shuichi glance over at him, his laughter ceasing almost instantly. The young singer cleaned his plate and left from the table and made his way into the kitchen. Yuki gazed at the only girl at the table: Maya Kinsburrow. She had flawless brown skin and long black hair, her hazel eyes accenting her skin tone nicely. What was her relationship with Shuichi? Was he using her by claiming that she was his girlfriend? Were they just friends? The novelist found himself instantly jealous of Maya and desperate to get Shuichi away from her.

Maya smiled, putting more of her "Super Special" onto Benny's plate as he rubbed his wound. "Russell, you bastard."

Russell snorted as James continued laughing. "That's what you get. You have no claim on my food so just back off."

Maya laughed. "If you wanted more Benny, you could've just asked."

Benny's eyes glittered as he forgot about his wound, one fist balled up in determination. "That's not the point. It tastes _better_ when it's acquired using evil methods!"

"You're an idiot." James said frankly.

Shuichi exited the kitchen and passed the dinner table. Yuki felt his eyes following after him as Maya stood from her seat to go to the kitchen. "Where are you off to Ken?"

"I'm gonna go take a shower. I'll be back in a few. You guys can just chill for as long as you want."

Christian's eyes changed to a worried expression, making Yuki's anger flare up slightly. "You sure you're alright man?"

Shuichi nodded. "Yeah, I just need a shower. I'd say sleep because of today's intense rehearsal, but you all are my guest and so I have to entertain you."

"It's okay. Maya is _plenty_ of entertainment for us, right guys?" James asked.

Yuki saw Shuichi's eyes narrow. _Why's he…angry?_

"Yeah, I can just kick their asses in DOA all night."

Benny smiled. "YAY! More DOA! I'm gonna win this time."

"Fat chance." snapped Russell.

As Shuichi exited the dining area, Yuki decided to do the same. After asking where he was to put his dish and Maya said just to leave it and that she'd take care of it, the novelist followed after Shuichi down the hallway and into Shuichi's room. The singer had already made his way into the shower and so Yuki took this time to explore the room. His bed was neatly made, a black comforter donning its entirety. There was an electric and acoustic guitar on the opposite side of the room on their stands next to relatively large amplifiers. There was a tall bookshelf, full of books no less, placed next to a standard writing desk with paper scattered across the table top.

Yuki noted that there was plain white paper and sheet music paper. He smiled. _He could abandon everything…but not his one true happiness in life. _

He looked on the white-washed walls and saw many different posters hanging everywhere. There were posters of American bands such as Linkin Park, Nirvana, Metallica, Foo Fighters, and many other great bands. He also noted that there were several posters of Nittle Grasper up and Yuki smiled. Of course his Shuichi wouldn't forget his favorite band of all time, the group that inspired him to become a star in the first place. Hanging right above his bed was Bad Luck's most popular poster. Yuki knew he must miss Hiroshi and Fujisaki very much.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" asked a very pissed off voice from behind him.

Yuki turned and saw Shuichi drying his hair with a towel, his torso fully exposed. Droplets of water trickled down the middle of Shuichi's well-built chest muscles and continued to trail down his abs. Clad in just a pair of plain, black boxer shorts, Yuki could see the singer's thigh muscles tense. He must have hated being looked over like he was, but the novelist couldn't help himself.

_Holy shit…Shuichi's not so puny anymore. He's _ripped! Yuki thought, slightly thrown aback.

He watched Shuichi shake off droplets from his blond locks and draped the towel over his shoulders. "I asked you a question. I'd like a decent answer before I throw you out." Shuichi asked coldly.

"Shuichi, I-" Yuki began, but stopped when he saw the musician sling his towel at him full force.

Yuki caught the towel in time, but was knocked onto the bed by Shuichi as he raced toward his bedroom door. He slammed it shut and locked it angrily. As he spun on his heels, he glared down at Yuki with eyes full of hostility. This caused the novelist's heart to skip a beat as he watched Shuichi's chest heave from the anger that was slowly welling up inside of him.

"Don't you _ever_ call me by that name _again!_ You have no _right_ to even _utter _that name!" spat Shuichi.

"Shuichi, please listen." pleaded Yuki.

Shuichi flew his arm to the side. "SHUICHI IS _DEAD!_" he screamed, then paused a moment to let his anger subside. "Get out." he muttered grimly.

The frostiness of Shuichi's words forced Yuki to muster up as much courage as he could. Yes, he'd been wrong. But he'd be damned if Shuichi wouldn't hear his apology and at least hear him out. Yuki flew from the bed and flung himself onto Shuichi, his hands clutching onto the singer's wrists as he pushed him against the door. He was slightly disheartened that Shuichi chose not to struggle against him. Instead, when Yuki tried to gaze into those beautiful amethyst eyes that he adored, they glowered back at him. He had never remembered Shuichi being so ferocious.

"Shuichi, I know that the last thing you want to do is listen to my excuses or even see my face. But you have to listen to me. I want to apologize for what I did. I know that what I did to you was inexcusable and no matter how angry I was or how eager I was to get my point across, I shouldn't have tried to test your feelings for me the way that I had. That night when you came back from your rehearsal, I-"

"Enough." Shuichi cut in. Yuki felt the young man struggle against his binds slightly. "I don't want to hear your _fucking _lies."

Desperate, Yuki moved in and kissed Shuichi unexpectedly, holding strong onto his wrists. He forced his mouth open and tried to gain entrance, but Shuichi pushed against Yuki's tongue forcefully with his own. After breaking the kiss, Yuki was now furious. Was he really so pissed off at him that not even his desperations could reach him?

"So, by leaving everyone you cared for back in Japan, you decided to come here and have some woman lick your wounds? What the hell is that girl to you? A rebound? Some kind of comfort toy you play with?" Yuki lashed out bitterly.

Shuichi's eyes flew open in rage and he skillfully wrenched his arms free from Yuki, pulling his right arm back and slamming his fist into the novelist's jaw. Yuki tumbled into a heap onto the floor, but quickly recovered himself as he felt the blood trickling from his mouth. He gazed up and saw Shuichi had remained in his attack position, chest heaving slowly as his fist trembled with rage. The singer's eyes were like piercing knives, ready to cleave the novelist to ribbons.

Yuki wiped the back of his hand against his chin in an effort to clean the blood off. _Damn, that was one helluva punch!_

Shuichi regained his composure and closed his eyes. "If you ever speak ill of Maya again, I'll kill you. That _woman_ happened to be the person who was there for me when I was on the edge of losing it all. She saved my life and I will repay her kindness someday, even if it takes my entire life to do so." he said softly, eyes reopening. They were a little more gentle now than they had been all evening. "I won't go back with you Yuki. Yes, I loved you at one time in my life but now things have changed. There's _nothing_ you can do that will change my mind. You better go back to Japan as soon as your job with Falter is finished. I don't want what little respect I have for you to disappear."

"What about Bad Luck? Are you just going to let them remain in hiatus because of your selfishness? They _need_ you! K's threatening to come to America and put a bullet in the back of your throat if you don't come back!"

Shuichi's eyebrow twitched slightly at the mention of his crazy American manager. "Then I better be prepared to eat lead. I'm not going." He opened the door and stood to the side of it. "Goodnight Yuki. I'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow."

Yuki rose slowly, dusting off his slacks and heading toward the open doorway. Before completely exiting the room, he felt Shuichi touch his shoulder as he gently pushed him out and quietly closed the door behind the novelist. He couldn't believe how determined Shuichi was to hold this grudge against him. Yuki remembered how stupid his actions were, but he didn't think that Shuichi would go to this degree to get vengeance. Was he really content here in the States, living under the roof of this woman who had supposedly saved his life?

_I suppose I'll have to ask her that story someday. I want to know just how it is she saved Shuichi's life that he feels that he's indebted to her. Is that what's keeping him tied to this place?_ Yuki thought, then sighed. _Well, regardless of the reason, Shuichi is coming back with me if it's the last thing I do. I won't lose him so easily._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Alright, so what did you guys think of this chapter? Was it good, bad? I think it's kinda funny how Shuichi is very forceful now. It's almost like Yuki and he switched roles huh? I wanted to play with Shuichi's character a bit and see how far I could push his character before he reverts back to his bubbly nature. But don't fret people! You WILL discover just what it is Yuki did to make Shuichi so angry in the NEXT chapter! I promise! Well, I don't know what the next chapter will be called, but look forward to the next installment of _As Time Goes By. _


	5. Night of Pouring Rain

**As Time Goes By**

**Disclaimer: **I am a poor, struggling college student and cannot afford a lawsuit on my hands. All credit goes to the creator of Gravitation: Maki Murakai.

(Note: Dialogue key:)

-In English or languages familiar to both speakers.

-_Character thoughts/recalling of memories_

- _**x**Sudden switch of language**x**_

_Chapter 5_

**The Night of Pouring Rain**

Shuichi tossed and turned in his sheets. He had long sense deposited his winter blanket onto the floor from aggravation. The singer couldn't get Yuki out of his mind. He didn't think that seeing him again after four years would do this to him. Even though he hated to admit it, Shuichi was actually somewhat happy that Yuki had gone out of his way to search for him. Even more amazing was that he had successfully found him. In any other situation, Shuichi would have hopped on the next bus out of town. But, he also knew that he was tied to Maya and could not abandon her. He knew that Maya depended on him more than she would like to admit and would suffer a tremendous blow if he just up and left without saying a word.

Shuichi flopped onto his stomach, growling into his pillow. _Dammit! I'm stuck everywhere! There's no place for me to go now!_

His eyes wandered toward the clock on his lamp stand near his bed, glaring at the crimson digital numbers that read: 3:45 am. Flipping himself onto his back, he placed his hands behind his head and stared up at his vacant ceiling; the fan immobile. _Four years…it seems like yesterday since I last saw him. _

Shuichi swung one of his arms off the side of the bed, fishing under his mattress for something. Once he'd grabbed it, he pulled it out. It was a photo Yuki and he had taken just a month before the incident had occurred. They'd just finished having dinner together and were at the park for their evening stroll to help digest the huge feast Yuki had treated them to. Looking almost identical, Shuichi was dressed in a sleek, black suit with a bright red button up undershirt, his black, silk tie standing out greatly against the crimson material. A few of his buttons were undone in the front, revealing a thin, black leather thong choker and a silver roman cross hung from the string. Instead of the big, goofy smile he always gave, Shuichi's smile was more solemn and mature. The singer had his hands in his pockets, posing like one of the super models in a magazine as the wind gently brushed his bright pink hair from his mischievous amethyst eyes.

Shuichi's eyes moved toward his former lover, clad in a similar black suit except he had on a royal blue button up with the silk black tie around his neck. Like Shuichi, the top couple of buttons were undone in the front with the tie sagging seductively in the front. Around his neck was a single, thin silver chain Shuichi had bought him for their anniversary the previous year. Yuki had also gotten a second hole pierced in his left ear and so he now had one silver hoop and one gold hoop. Peering in the dark from his amber eyes, Yuki had his hand in his hair from brushing away the wind blown locks of blonde hair from his face.

_God, he's still fucking hot. I don't even know how I'm able to control myself around him without losing it!_

Deciding that there was no way he was going to be able to sleep, Shuichi clambered out of bed and rummaged through his closet. He pulled out his black hoodie with the silver embroidered Asian dragon stitched onto the back, the sleeves ornately covered in silver flames. The night was just a tad chilly, so he decided to jump into some pants as well. As he reached for his khakis, his "good shirt" came into view. It was the royal blue shirt he had bugged Maya about cleaning, the shirt he had worn to his interview at Falter, the shirt he'd worn on the first day of becoming manager at the music store in New York, and it was also the shirt he'd stolen out of Yuki's closet the night he packed his bags and left Japan.

Shuichi reached his hand out to touch the soft fabric of the shirt, snatching up his khakis in the process. After putting on his pants, he stole one more glance at the shirt and then shut the closet door. He grabbed his pack of cigarettes off the top of his book shelf and stuffed them into his pocket where his lighter still was. Seeing as how he was just going out onto the back porch, Shuichi didn't bother with shoes.

As he stepped out into the hallway, Shuichi made sure that he was quiet. He made his way down the hallway and entered the living room where the rest of Falter was sprawled out on either couches or the floor. Russell had gotten too drunk to drive and both Benny and James had been drinking as well. Christian was the only sober one, even though he'd drunk a beer earlier, but decided not to just leave them here alone. Apparently none of them had taken up Maya's offer to use the guest bedroom. The members of Falter were a tightly knit group and considered each other almost like family.

Shuichi snuck past them skillfully, only jumping slightly at hearing Benny whimper in his sleep. He quickly made his way out onto the back porch, sliding the glass door quietly behind him. As he turned around, he was startled to see Maya leaning against the wooden railing as the wind blew her jet black hair gently behind her. She was staring up at the moonlight, a mug cradled elegantly in her hands. Maya was absolutely stunning. Any man would be crazy to say no to anything that she ever desired. However, Shuichi couldn't hide the truth of his feelings for her. He only viewed Maya as a younger sibling who kept him sane and at peace with himself.

Hearing the click of the door closing, Maya jerked slightly and turned her head to the door. She suddenly relaxed when seeing it was just him. "Oh Ken, it's just you. I remember I had the door open earlier so I could just stay out here a while."

"Ken" pulled his pack of cigarettes from his pocket and placed one into his mouth, then lighting it all in several swift movements. "Why are you out here by yourself in the middle of the night? Usually you're dead to the world in your room until eight in the morning."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, I have some things on my mind right now so I just wanted to enjoy my tea while sorting out my thoughts."

Ken arched an eyebrow at her. "It's almost four. What could you _possibly_ have to think about?"

Maya, not turning to face him, placed her mug to her lips. But, before drinking she spoke. "Well, like why that novelist gets to you. I've never seen you look both so dispassionately and passionately at someone in the two years I've known you." she spoke calmly, shifting her eyes toward him. "So spill it. You knew Eiri Yuki before tonight didn't you? I bet you two go _way_ back. But, my real question is what exactly he did to piss you off so badly."

Ken blinked several times before opening his mouth. "How in the hell do you keep doing that?"

"Don't change the subject Ken. Now tell me what in the hell is going on between you two. Tonight you looked as though you couldn't decide whether or not you should hug him or shoot him."

Ken turned around, his back leaning against the wooden railing, hands stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie. He jumped and was now sitting on the rail, looking up into the sparkling brilliance of the night sky. "You really want to know the truth? You'll be in for a real shock and might not want to talk to me ever again."

He felt her hand gently fall on top of his. "Ken, it's alright, I can handle it."

"I'm holding you to that, y'know?" Ken stated, half sighing. "Well, first off," he began, gazing down at her beautifully chiseled features. "My name isn't Kenneth Davis. It's Shuichi. Shuichi Shindou." He waited for the reaction he expected and it came. Her eyes widened and he could feel her fingers suddenly entwining around his own. "As for Eiri Yuki, well, four years ago he was my boyfriend and my lover."

Shuichi paused, waiting to see if Maya would say something or lash out at him for being what he was, but there was nothing. Instead, tears formed on the brims of her eyes as she stared up at him sadly. "In Japan," he continued, heart aching from her emotion. "I was part of a band called Bad Luck. I was its lead vocalist. After interesting little occurrences in the past, Yuki and I met, loved and lived as best we could. Life together wasn't exactly daisies and marigolds. Like all couples, we had our share of problems and conflicts and, boy, did we ever fight."

A long ash fell from his cigarette that he had forgotten to smoke. He inhaled the last bit before tossing out the filter, exhaling smoke from his nose as he gazed into the sky once more. "But, everything changed one night. I knew things had been a bit rocky in our relationship lately, but just a month prior we had celebrated Bad Luck's latest album together. It would be the last album I would do with Bad Luck before disappearing, forcing Hiro and Fujisaki to go underground because of my absence. It was raining pretty badly that night. The guys and I had had rehearsal pretty late into the evening because I kept fucking up the lyrics in the recording booth. I was really anxious to see Yuki again because I hadn't seen him all day that day."

Shuichi cleared his throat, swallowing down the dry feeling forming in the hollow of his throat. "I knew he'd been frustrated with me the past couple of days, what with my late night rehearsals and instantly falling asleep as soon as I finished up my shower. I hadn't bothered to ask him if he ever wanted to do anything, but he never complained and just pulled me towards him whenever I managed to crawl into bed with him."

"So, what happened then?"

"Well, as I said it was a heavy, rainy night. I was running like hell to get back to the apartment because I was anxious to see Yuki and I wanted to get out of my wet clothes…my world began to crumble all around my ears on that one rainy night."

_-FLASHBACK-_

_The thunder rumbled heavily in the sky above Shuichi as he hurdled over a rail near the sidewalk while dodging the local pedestrians walking in the opposite direction of him. The rain beat down heavily against his shoulders, his clothes totally soaked through as the water caused his skin to feel clammy under the fabric of this clothing. His sneakers sloshed through a small puddle as he rounded the corner and raced up the hill leading to Yuki's apartment. Rehearsal had lasted longer than he had planned it to be, but he hoped Yuki would still be awake so he could give him his present. _

_Shuichi rounded the corner, the heel of his sneakers skidding against the wet concrete causing him to almost fall. After catching his balance, Shuichi reached into his pocket, feeling around for the suede box he'd placed in his pocket. Satisfied that it was still there, he continued down the street as the wind picked up, causing the already heavy rain to beat down harder on him. _

_He sped around the next corner, his feet sliding harshly beneath him as Shuichi felt himself careening down onto the concrete. His hip hit the ground first, water splashing in all directions as the mud began to cover his shorts and jacket. After muttering a curse under his breath, he got up and flew down the road leading to Yuki's apartment. _

_Shuichi searched for his keys in his pockets, now safely under the little overpass above the entranceway to the apartment complex. He was just about to slide his key in when he noticed that another car was parked next to Yuki's black sports car. "I wonder who's here." said Shuichi to himself._

_He slid his key in the entranceway, making his way upstairs to their actual apartment. The musician could hear loud music playing behind the door. Shuichi smiled, thinking that his bad habits had finally rubbed off on Yuki. Perhaps he'd gotten lonely so he played music loudly in hopes of thinking that Shuichi was actually there. This put the singer in a genuinely happier mood that he actually didn't mind the fact that he was soaking wet. Shuichi opened the door and was taken aback about just how loud the music was. It almost knocked him back and he was even more surprised that no one had bothered to come up and complain about the noise. After all, it was pretty late at night._

_Shuichi stepped inside, kicking off his shoes. "Yuki? Yuki!" he yelled, wondering just where the hell he was. He ran over to the stereo and turned the music down so he could at least hear himself think. "Yuki! Yuki, where are you?" he called again._

_His ears picked up the sound of grunting in the back of the house where the bedroom and entertainment area was. _Maybe he's trying to beat that game for me…I told him how much I was struggling on that one boss. _came Shuichi's hopeful thoughts. He didn't want to start believing the unbelievable so soon._

_Shuichi made his way down the hallway, the grunting and, now audible, cries becoming evident. His heart tightened in his chest as he soon passed the entertainment area and saw no Yuki on the floor in front of their big screen. He passed the bathroom and the cries of pure pleasure escaped the cracked door of the bedroom. It was evident that a woman was in the room, Yuki's grunts somewhat stifled by his efforts to remain in control. The two were slowly starting to climax in the height of their ecstasy. _

_Shuichi peered into the cracked doorway and his hand instantly came to his mouth, covering up the gasp that was just about to escape. Both Yuki and the flourishing red head cried out in a full out orgasm, the foreign woman straddling Yuki's waist as he held her hips on top of him. She flopped onto his chest and sighed in bliss as Yuki wiped the sweat from his brow, ignoring her gentle kisses on his chest. Shuichi felt the tears well up in his eyes and he couldn't help but let a tiny whimper escape. As Yuki reached over to grab a cigarette, his eyes hit the doorway and met Shuichi's. For a moment, the two just stared back each other while Yuki's hand still suspended itself in the air over the lamp stand. _

_Shuichi noticed the empty bottle of liquor next to the other cans of beer and cigarette butts pilled on the ashtray. He looked into Yuki's amber eyes once more and saw a hint of pure cruelty in them. The novelist smirked at Shuichi, grabbed his cigarettes and cut out the lamp light, leaving him to continue peering into the dark room as he heard the woman moaning in sheer bliss once more. He could not stop the tears from falling now. Shuichi closed the door shut and went to the closet across the hall. He whipped out his big black suitcase and began dumping clothing inside of it, not bothering to fold the garments or make room for new ones. _

_As he placed the last bit of clothing he had and packing all of his personal items, Shuichi glared into the closet once more and saw the Yuki's blue button up shirt hanging next to his other dress shirts and business suits. He yanked the shirt from the hanger, almost breaking the plastic and ripping the shirt in one swift movement. Shuichi slung the shirt into the suitcase and slammed his suitcase shut, the tears still spilling from his eyes. Yuki's present was still in his pocket. He reached inside and removed the half wet suede box from within, opening it to reveal a silver amulet: the Egyptian symbol for eternal life. Shuichi threw the box into the trash in the bathroom angrily. Afterwards, he left the apartment as he could hear the moans of the foreign woman heighten as Yuki's grunts followed suit._

_Shuichi reached the door, closing it behind him and exited the apartment complex. The rain poured heavier now and he had not bothered to grab an umbrella. But he didn't care anymore. He could have cared less if he lived or died. Shuichi rounded the corners leaving the apartment and walked out blindly into the busy highway. The many cars and trucks skidded to a halt as they honked their horns at him, swearing and cursing of the like. They all fell upon his now deaf ears. The rain mixed with his tears as he walked straight, bee-lining for the nearest bus station to take him to the nearest airport. He hadn't booked a flight, but that could be done in the morning after staying the night at the airport._

_

* * *

_

_Shuichi curled into a tiny ball as he tried to force himself to sleep in the cramped little benches at the airport. He'd just finished scheduling a flight for Okinawa, wanting to see the beautiful mountains of his home country one last time before going to America and changing his identity. He would leave all of his good and bad memories in Japan, and on the most peace place in all of Japan: Okinawa Prefecture. _

_Shuichi's eyes narrowed, anger slowly setting in. _I'll never forgive Yuki for what he's done to me. I'll die a thousand deaths over before I let him think I'll _ever_ forgive him!

* * *

**Author's Note: ** -sighs- Sorry about that you guys! I didn't mean for this to take so long! So, what did you guys think? Was this too generic of a reason for Shuichi and Yuki to break up and for Shuichi to have hated him all these years? I don't know about you, but I got upset just WRITING this part of the story. I wonder what Maya will do now? I feel so sorry for my little OC! Well, until the next installment of _As Time Goes By_, this is Sophie5 signing out!


	6. Determination

**As Time Goes By**

**Disclaimer: **I am a poor, struggling college student and cannot afford a lawsuit on my hands. All credit goes to the creator of Gravitation: Maki Murakai.

(Note: Dialogue key:)

-In English or languages familiar to both speakers.

-_Character thoughts/recalling of memories_

- _**x**Sudden switch of language**x**_

_Chapter 6_

**Determination**

Maya sighed as she waved goodbye to Falter, including Ken. After continuing with her little facade of a smile, she went back into the house and started folding up the spare blankets and sheets she had laid out for the other band members. She placed them in the closet and proceeded to head towards Ken's room. Maya smiled as she looked over the messed up bed sheets and scattered clothing on the floor. She began remaking his bed and throwing his laundry in the hamper. After she finished making his bed, she sat down slowly on the mattress and let it swallow her bottom half. Maya then rested her elbows on her knees and cupped her face in her hands as she let the talk of that morning wash over her mind.

_Well, I guess I should stop calling him 'Ken' now. His name is Shuichi Shindou and he formerly had a man for a lover. I knew that my chances were slim with the boy, but I didn't think that he was gay…or maybe he's bisexual but likes men more. _Maya sighed and shook her head. _It doesn't matter anymore. I listened to his story and I'm glad he decided to come out with the truth._

She looked around Shuichi's bedroom and sighed, glancing at the poster with the group Bad Luck on it. Now that she paid closer attention, the guy with the pink hair looked awfully like Ken. Maya was upset with herself that she hadn't caught on to it sooner. After all, she'd lived with the damn boy for nearly two years now!

Maya rose to her feet, ultimately deciding that she would not sit by and let Shuichi's tears be for naught. She'd never seen him shed a single tear since they'd been living together…but last night, Maya saw them falling as though he'd been waiting for the right moment to let his anguish come out. She refused to see Shuichi be sad for any reason at all, least of all a man who so disgustingly treated him the way that he had. He even had the nerve to show his face back into Shuichi's life and Maya Kinsburrow would not tolerate it!

Maya made her way down the hallway and into the kitchen where the cordless phone was hooked up. She pulled the phone off its dock and started dialing numbers. After she let it ring a while, she smiled when someone answered on the other end.

"Hi James. Sorry to call you after just seeing you off, but I need to ask you a favor. Could you not mention it to Ken for me?"

_"Sure Maya. Ask away and I'll be more than happy to oblige…if I can that is."_

Maya laughed. "Well, it's nothing too fabulous. I just wanted Eiri Yuki's number, that's all."

_"Oh, is that all? Sure, I can give that to you. I'll text message it to you, is that cool?"_

"That's not a problem at all. Thanks James."

She hung up the phone and pulled out her cell from her purse that was on the counter. Suddenly a text message was sent to her and she called the number James had sent her on her cell, seeing as it was a New York number. Maya listened to it ringing on the other end and smiled when Eiri Yuki answered on the other end in his gruff voice. He was a writer and didn't have to wake up early in the morning like most people who worked.

"_Hello? This is Yuki."_

"Hi, Mr. Eiri Yuki? This is Maya Kinsburrow, the girl whose house you came and had dinner at last night."

"_Ah yes, Miss Kinsburrow. How may I help you? Is there a problem with Ken or any of the other members of Falter?"_

"No, it's nothing like that. I was wondering, are you free this afternoon? There is a matter in which I must speak with you about. Could you meet me at the local coffee house near my place? It's really close so you can't miss it."

There was a long pause after this suggestion. It seemed as though Yuki was pondering the issue and trying to decipher what her motive was.

"_Very well. How does two o'clock sound to you Miss Kinsburrow?"_

"That sounds great. I'll see you at two then Mr. Yuki."

Maya hung up her cell and looked at the clock above the sink in her kitchen. It was only 12:30. She decided to fix herself something to eat and then prep herself for the little "chat" she would be having with Eiri Yuki. She decided that there was no way she was going to let Shuichi continue wallowing in anguish over this man without knowing for certain if this guy was really a bastard or if there was reasons for his actions. If he turned out to be a real asshole, then Maya was going to make sure that Shuichi had a life full of happiness _without_ Eiri Yuki anywhere in it.

* * *

Yuki rolled over on his bed, his body half covered by the blankets. He dropped his cell phone on his stomach and sighed, suddenly wanting a cigarette. His lips half curled into a smile as he realized that he hadn't bought any since he moved in from New York. He had decided to "quit." But apparently, his Shuichi had picked up his nasty little habit.

_God, I wonder if he's started drinking too._ Yuki thought, rolling over on to his side.

His thoughts soon wandered to why Maya Kinsburrow wanted to meet with him so suddenly. Was she another star craven fan who desired his autograph and company? No, she didn't seem to even realize he was a big time author last night. Perhaps she wanted someone to waste the afternoon with since Shuichi was no longer at her beck and call. This somewhat irritated Yuki and he soon forced himself out of bed.

After getting in the shower, doing his business, he contemplated on what to wear. Considering that this was just a normal meeting with a girl who probably had no interest in him whatsoever, he decided to go in a pair of khakis and a white sweater. After grabbing his wallet, a magazine, and keys, he paused before exiting his room. Yuki turned around and opened the drawer next to the mirror by his door and pulled out the thin silver chain with the amulet of the Egyptian symbol representing eternal life dangling from the necklace chain. He slipped the necklace around his neck and let it rest on the outside of his sweater. Yuki had nothing better to do, so he decided to head over to the café anyway and just read his magazine for the nest hour until Maya arrived.

* * *

"Alright you guys, we're going to take five for now." James said as he unhooked the strap from his bass guitar and set it down beside him.

Benny sighed with relief as he lowered his drum sticks down by his side, wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm. Russell had already put his electric down on the floor and was seated on the edge of the stage. Christian, blonde hair tied back into a ponytail, left his guitar hanging against his torso as he proceeded to pull out his packet of cigarettes, lighting it in one swift motion. Benny watched as he inhaled slowly, savoring the taste of the nicotine and menthol on his tongue. The drummer smirked, shaking a few strands of his wet hair from his eyes as he turned to see where Ken had gone off to.

He saw Ken off to the side, removing the white and black bandana from his head as he pulled a piece of folded paper from his back pocket. The singer also took a pen out from his front pocket and flopped down onto the ground. Benny smiled when he noticed the sparkle in Ken's eyes. Apparently the musician had gotten some sort of inspiration and was dying to write it down. That was something Benny noticed about Ken was that he always carried paper and pen with him wherever he went. It was as if he were a natural born musician.

"Hey Benny! Catch!" Christian called to him as he threw a towel for him.

Benny caught the towel and wiped his face and neck clean from sweat and tossed it back to Christian, the guitarist making his way toward the drum set. "Thanks Chris."

Christian slung the towel across his shoulders as he grabbed a nearby stool and sat down next to Benny. A few seconds of silence passed between the two until Benny decided to break the silence. "Tell me Chris…is it just me, or do you and I _both_ think Ken lied when he said he'd never been a musician before?"

Christian smirked, smoking the last remains of his cigarette before tossing the butt off to the side. "Yeah, it's not just you. I had that same feeling from the moment he first walked into the interview room."

"I wonder why he felt he had to make up the fact that he wasn't a musician before. Did he think that we weren't going to notice or something?"

Christian tucked the stray pieces of his hair behind his ears. "No, I just think that's Ken's way of saying 'Please don't ask me any questions.' So that's what we've done, not asked questions. If he really has something to explain to us, he will. It's as simple as that Benny."

The drummer sighed and tapped his drumsticks against Christian's head. The guitarist simply shook them off and walked over to Russell, tapping the other guitarist with his fingertip. Benny looked around and saw that James was nowhere to be found. He must have gone to check on any phone calls they may have missed. Benny got up from his stool and went over to where Ken was seated, tapping the singer's head with the tips of his drumsticks. Ken looked up with his piercing amethyst eyes and for a moment, and just a moment, Benny could have sworn they held a child-like glimmer to them.

"How's the song writing going Ken? Any new breakthroughs yet?"

Ken shook his head, his sweaty blonde and black banes shaking back and forth. "No. I've been trying to see if I could stray from the angst in this one piece and transform it into a piece of determination and courage."

The drummer scratched his temple with his drumstick. "Well, I don't know anything about writing songs…but they usually tell a story don't they? How about you write the song from the beginning to be all angsty and shit and then transform it into a piece of determination and courage?"

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense…but I don't want to seem like I should be telling my life's story during our first gig y'know?"

Benny chuckled, running a hand through his jet black hair. "Now look man, you're the singer and you got talent for writing songs too. If you feel like gettin' in front of that mike and singing your heart out about your shitty past and how you came to get a good present life then by all means, do it. The way Falter operates is that we perform because we love to do it, not to entertain the people who come to see us do what we love. Yeah, it's nice to have fans every once in a while, but that's not why the guys and I came up with Falter. When we're on that stage and playing to the max, we don't give a damn about who's out there listening to us and watching us because they can't judge us or tell us who we are." Benny paused, turning his piercing blue eyes upon Ken. The singer arched an eyebrow at him as the drummer smirked. "After all, their asses aren't on the stage with us so who gives them the right to judge us? You just do and write what you feel Ken. When it comes time for you to sing that song on stage, you sing your heart out for you and only you…not for anyone else in that audience."

Ken smiled and Benny gently cuffed him on the shoulder and then ruffled his hair. Even though Ken was only a couple of years younger than Benny, the drummer felt as though he'd gained a younger brother in a sense. For almost 4 years, Benny had gotten used to being the "youngest" in the group, James being the oldest. Benny got to be pampered by the others at times, but it also opened him up to a lot of teasing. But it never bothered him so much.

"Thanks Benny. I appreciate that. But, I still think you fucking suck at Dead or Alive man. You need to work on those gaming skills. Maya's good, but she shouldn't have been able to beat you as bad as she did last night." Ken teased.

Benny arched an eyebrow at the singer, pressing the tips of his sticks against Ken's nose. "You better watch out for her man…she'll kick your ass. She's a helluva lot better than what you give her credit for."

"That's for damn sure. Maya's a good person. I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with her."

The drummer, now puzzled, blinked several times at this statement. "What do you mean Ken? I thought you and she were just friends, like you only saw her like a little sister? You wanna marry her now or something? Chris isn't going to be too happy about that you know?"

Ken laughed. "No, that's not what I meant. I mean, she's a truly kind person and she even saved my life. I owe my life to Maya and unless she tells me to get the hell out of her life, I'll always be there for her no matter what. Besides, Christian could be good for Maya. She doesn't need some washed up loser like me as a boyfriend."

"Well, one thing I do know about Miss Kinsburrow is that she'd do just about anything for you. I'd hate to be the one who has to face her wrath because they tried to step on your toes."

* * *

Maya decided at the last minute that she would clip her hair back into a high flare ponytail with a few strands of her dark hair falling across her face. She thought about going for the high class look to show that she was really serious about trying to get Yuki to see that she was being truthful and determined…but she then considered that perhaps Eiri Yuki would think her too pompous. Instead, she put on a pair of midnight blue denim bell-bottoms with her pair of black and white Chucks and a pastel pink turtleneck instead. Maya wasn't dressing to impress him and that's not what she called the novelist out there for. It was to have a serious discussion about what steps Yuki was planning in taking to get Shuichi back and for to see if the man truly loved Shuichi.

Maya Kinsuburrow pushed the door to the café open, a tiny tinkling of the bell chiming after she'd entered the store ten minutes before the scheduled meeting time. She saw Eiri Yuki sitting at the back of the café at a round table drinking his coffee and reading a magazine. He looked up upon hearing the bell chime and caught her eye. He smirked and waved her over to him. She made her way over to him and sat across from him at the table, waiting for him to put down his magazine. After he'd finished reading whatever article had interested him, he took one more gulp of his coffee before proceeding to gaze at her with his piercing amber eyes.

"So, Miss Kinsburrow, what was it you had to discuss with me today?"

Maya gazed at him, determined to get her point across. "Eiri Yuki, I know about the relationship you previously had with Ken-I mean, Shuichi."

She saw the writer's eyebrow twitch slightly as she noticed a tiny spark flare in his eyes. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. "Alright, so what do you want to know then? I'm sure he's told you everything has he?"

Maya pushed her fear aside upon hearing the arrogance in his voice. "Yes, and I would just like to say that you're a real bastard. Shuichi loved you more than anything else in the world and from what I gathered that night he told me his story, he thought that you loved him just the same. I don't know what possessed you to do such a thing to him, but if you plan on coming back into Shuichi's life you had better come up with a better solution than just saying 'I'm sorry!'"

Yuki suddenly slapped the magazine closed, eyes narrowing severely at her. "Excuse me Miss Kinsburrow, but let me make something very clear to you. What happened between Shuichi and me is none of your concern. Secondly, I don't think you have any right to judge me nor are you to condone my actions as justifiable or unjustifiable. I leave that to Shuichi. What makes you think that you have any say in the matter Miss Kinsburrow? Do you think that by doing this, Shuichi will fall in love with you?"

Maya gasped at hearing the venom in his words. He was really out to destroy her and she knew that it was both out of being challenged and out of jealousy. "I don't hope for anything Mr. Yuki, only that Shuichi has a happy life. However, I will not hesitate to stop anyone from preventing Shuichi to obtain such happiness."

She rose from the chair and watched as Yuki's piercing amber eyes followed her every movement, glaring at her all the while. "If you wish to get back together with Shuichi, by all means do everything you can. But I will tell you this, sir. In the two years that I've lived with him, I've never _once_ seen Shuichi cry until last night. I never want to see him as miserable as I did last night ever again."

Maya returned the glare. "If I see him cry again and find out that you were the source, I'll _never_ forgive you and I'll _never_ let you come near Shuichi again. I'd rather die a _thousand_ times than watch anyone cause him pain. He's suffered enough and has almost died in his lifetime. If you have a problem with this, you can either clean up your act or kiss my ass…whichever you would prefer."

The young girl smiled at him, brows narrowing over her eyes as she saw Yuki raise his brows in somewhat astonishment. She exited the café and walked back down the street to her house, sighing in relief at having said what she needed to say. She never dreamed in her wildest days that she would ever say such harsh words with confidence to anyone. Perhaps Shuichi had unconsciously made her a stronger person. Although Shuichi always said he owed Maya a debt of gratitude for saving his life, he, in fact, had already repaid it by remolding Maya into the headstrong woman she was today.

_I never would have guessed that that day I found you in the alley would be the day that my whole life would change Shuichi. You said that I was your saving grace when in fact, you were actually mine._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay okay, so this chapter didn't exactly tell you what Maya did to actually save Shuichi nor did we discover why Yuki was such a bastard. But I figured this chapter should give some highlight on a few of my OC's and to see just how strong of characters they are without actually ruining or taking the place of the originals. Maya is one determined chick huh? And we actually see a different side of Benny. Anyway, I DO promise that in the next installment of _As Time Goes By_, you will discover just what it is that Maya did to save Shuichi and what her last thoughts actually mean. Thanks for being patient with me and look forward to the next chapter!


	7. Saving Grace

**As Time Goes By**

**Disclaimer: **I am a poor, struggling college student and cannot afford a lawsuit on my hands. All credit goes to the creator of Gravitation: Maki Murakai.

(Note: Dialogue key:)

-In English or languages familiar to both speakers.

-_Character thoughts/recalling of memories_

- _**x**Sudden switch of language**x**_

_Chapter 7_

**Saving Grace**

Maya sighed as she walked along the back alleys of San Diego, having left Eiri Yuki only moments before. She felt a knot grow inside her chest as the breath slowly left her. She'd always been having symptoms like these for some time. Maya had successfully hidden it well from "Ken" during the two years they were together. Although, he had suspected something from when she first brought him to her home two years go. However, the last thing Maya needed on her plate was for someone else to worry about her…not after she'd given up the decision to finally end her miserable little existence.

She rounded the corner and leaned against the brick wall of the alley, the rusted metal ladders that led to the balconies of other people's apartments hung both above and in front of her. Maya felt a tiny smile form at the corners of her lips. She recalled a time where she was out of breath just like this; anxious and afraid just like this; unsure and desperate just like this.

Maya sighed, brushing the locks of raven hair that had fallen from her clip. _Ken…Shuichi. You saved my life that day. You saved me on that day that I wanted to die._

_-FLASHBACK-_

_The sun was slowly starting to set on the edge of the horizon. Maya ran a hand through her hair, the silver rings on each finger gleamed against the twilight sky. She received many glances from the people who passed by, arching their eyebrows at her tight leather skirt, black nylon stockings and shin high combat boots. They gawked at her black tank top as it was covered by a black leather jacket that stopped just below her breasts; the dog collar clung tightly to her neck as it reflected the silver studs embedded in the leather neck ornament. Some were taken aback at her black lipstick, black nails, and dark eye makeup as her startling hazel eyes peered from within, her tiny diamond nose ring sparkling._

_Maya was the epitome of darkness against light, waiting for the evening to embrace her as she enjoyed her final stroll from her school. This would be the last time people would have to see her on the streets, the last time people would whisper harsh comments about her, the last time she would have to deal with the pain of society and to not measuring up to her family's expectations. She would end it all in one swift moment._

It will all be over soon. I just have to make it behind that abandoned building in the alley and no one will have to ever feel disgusted when they see me or hear me speak ever again. _Maya thought as she gripped onto the daggers in each of her pockets._

_As she rounded the corner, she could hear a struggle going on. She took a few shy steps, making sure that her boots had not kicked any rubble aside to give away her position. The last thing she needed was for someone to stop her from doing what she had been planning to do for weeks. Maya peeked behind the corner of the building and saw five, stocky men harassing a young man with long, black hair with royal blue tips pulled back in a ponytail. They had him on all fours and were pounding the life out of him, his blood spilling out of his mouth and nose onto the cement below him._

"_How can you say you have no money when you're wearing such an expensive looking suit." screamed one man as he kicked him in the stomach._

"_Yeah, or are you one of those rich brats who only walks around all big and bad but you don't get a God damn cent from your folks?"_

Those stupid thugs think that they can get away with traipsing into my territory because I haven't shown up in a few days? If I wasn't already on a mission, I'd slash them all. _Maya fumed, gripping tightly onto the dagger in her right pocket._

_They continued to kick and abuse the man while he continued to take it. Whether or not he was too hurt to fight back or if he was too scared to, Maya could not tell. She stood behind the building, waiting for him to take the initiative to defend himself, to retaliate in some form or fashion. But, Maya could still hear the agonizing grunts coming from the young man and the thrilled cries of the other men trying to beat him into commission so as to pilfer his money._

_Irritated by the whole situation, Maya removed the dagger in her right pocket and dashed out from behind the building, flanking the first brute she had her eyes on. She spun on her left heel, raising her right foot to crash hard into the guy's stomach just as he was about to punch the poor man in the face who was still coughing out blood all over the place. The burly man stood still, inhaling tightly from the shock of the blow. The other men stopped their assault just as Maya held the razor edge of the dagger against the man's neck, eyes glaring at the others._

"_Kinsburrow!"_

"_You little bitch! You think you can get away with doing that?"_

_Maya smirked, brows narrowing even further over her hazel eyes. "You low life bastards. I leave this spot alone for a couple of days and you think that this area is free reign for your stupid little games. Go get your kicks elsewhere…" She paused, pushing the dagger a little harder against her hostage's neck as it broke the skin, a tiny line of blood trickling down the blade. "…you fucking pigs."_

_The four remaining four left the young man down on the floor as he wiped the blood away from his lips to surround her._

"_You won't get off easy Kinsburrow! We out number you."_

_She laughed; a cruel and merciless one. She was pissed off. "You think I give a damn? You guys have utterly ruined my day." Maya smiled. "It was a perfect day to kill myself until I ran into you shit heads. Guess I have to take care of you before I can get on with my own demise right?"_

_Just as the four aimed to charge at her full force, Maya kicked her hostage down to his knees while aiming a back kick to her attacker from behind. Another grabbed her by her arm and she jerked it free, elbowing him hard in the stomach. She threw her dagger in her right hand at another man who tried to charge at her from the shy, the blade implanting itself right into his kneecap. The final man tried to tackle her, but as he dove for her waist, Maya snatched the dagger in her left pocket and slammed it down into his shoulder, the blood pouring out over his white shirt like a horrid paint stain. He screamed out in horror and the others soon started backing away as their companion tried to pull the knife out of his shoulder._

_Maya walked up to the man who she had thrown the dagger into his knee as he trembled in fear, attempting to back away. Apparently she had a wild look in her gleaming hazel eyes, but she didn't care. "Now listen up." she began, gripping onto the hilt of the knife in his knee as he whimpered. "If I ever see your faces in my turf again…I'll make sure that the cops won't be able to identify the bodies."_

_She snatched the knife out, ignoring the man's screams as the others jumped in fear. Maya then reached out and grabbed the hilt of her other dagger, wrenching it out of the man's shoulder as he writhed in agony from the pain. He held his wound down and scattered off in the opposite direction with his "friends," leaving a very angry Maya alone with the man whom she had saved._

_Maya wiped her daggers clean, flicking the blood off of her fingertips onto the concrete. She saw the young man holding his stomach as he spat out more blood. "Hey. You alright?"_

_The man lifted his face up to look at her and she felt her eyes widen slightly. His eyes were a piercing amethyst color and the rest of his features were completely swollen from getting beat up so badly. "Th-Thank you." he whispered. _

_She stuffed the daggers into her pocket once more, kneeling down beside him. "You're really one pathetic guy. Can't you defend yourself at all? My plans for today were totally messed up because of you."_

_He let his eyes fall to the ground. "I'm sorry."_

_Maya sighed, placing his arm across her shoulder as she lifted him up off the ground. She forced him to lean against her for support. "Whatever. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to live for one more day. There's always the option of dying tomorrow. You live around here?"_

_He shook his head and Maya sighed once more, this time out of exasperation. "Well where do you stay?"_

"_I don't have a place to stay."_

"_You're joking."_

_He shook his head again. Maya ran a hand through her hair. "This is just great. Alright, I guess it's off to my place then. Come on."_

_

* * *

_

_Maya pulled up a chair next to the guest bed where the man lay, sleeping quietly after she had finally finished dressing his wounds. Her leather jacket long since discarded onto the floor, she decided to kick off her boots and pulled her hair in a low ponytail. She rested her elbow on her knee after crossing her legs, her chin cupped in her hand as she stared at the handsome visage of the man before her. Even his well chiseled features were not obscured by the bandages she'd put on his face._

_It had been several hours since she had taken him in and nursed him back to health. Maya still had no clue as to what his name was, who he was, or where he came from. She decided to be comfortable while watching over him, so she went to her room and changed into a pair of cut off jeans and a t-shirt. After returning to his bedside, she turned the chair around and rested her arms on the back of the chair, her chin on her forearms. It was getting further and further into the night and Maya realized that she hadn't gotten a chance to sleep seeing as how today was supposed to be the day she would commit suicide. However, like always, things never went according to her plan. The room's colors began to grow darker as her eyelids got heavier, the swirling darkness now taking over her as Maya drifted into sleep._

"_Excuse me."_

_Maya blinked a few times, rousing from her slumber. She let her eyes adjust and saw that the guy had finally regained consciousness. _

_Rubbing her eyes, Maya smirked and stretched. "Awake now are you? That's a relief. I was starting to think all my efforts had been wasted. You hungry?"_

_He nodded, reminding her of a timid little child. She laughed, suddenly realizing that she hadn't laughed in a long time. "Alright. How about I fix you some soup first?"_

_She rose to get up, but the young man reached out and grabbed her wrist gently. Maya turned to face him, arching an eyebrow at him. "What's up?"_

"_Thank you for your kindness. I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble."_

_She shrugged. "It's alright I guess. I suppose doing one good deed before I die isn't such a bad way to go." Maya smirked. _

"_Do you really intend to kill yourself?"_

"_Why not? There's nothing in this life worth living for. I'm just an eyesore to everyone else anyway. They'll all be happy when I'm gone and I don't have to put up with their bullshit."_

_Maya felt his grip tighten slightly. "Is it alright if I asked you to live long enough so that I may repay you for your kindness?"_

"_You don't have to pay me back."_

"_I have to! You saved my life and I owe it to you! Just live until I can repay you and then you can carry on with your business of wanting to kill yourself."_

_Maya sighed. "Fine. But the minute I feel satisfied that you've paid me back, you better not try and stop me."_

_He nodded, brows furrowing over his amethyst eyes. "Agreed. What's your name?"_

"_Maya. Maya Kinsuburrow. You?"_

"_Kenneth Davis."_

_-FLASHBACK-_

Maya leaned her head against the brick wall of the alley. This wasn't the same place she'd met Shuichi…but the air of the area left with her with a nostalgic feeling. The feeling of remembering their first meeting and realizing that since Shuichi's past was coming back for him, Maya might possibly be left alone for good. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and didn't bother to wipe them away before they streamed down her face.

_Dear Shuichi. You had already paid me back in return for saving your life that very night I finished caring for your wounds. By asking me to live and to continue living my life, you saved my life in return. I can no longer keep holding you by the promise we'd made back then._ she thought, then looked out at the busy streets of pedestrians walking back and forth, smiling with friends or talking on cell phones. The emptiness was starting to return and fester in her heart. _If you want to leave Shuichi, I won't stop you. I can't. You've already done so many wonderful things for me._

…

_I love you. I'll love you always, no matter what._

* * *

**Author's Note:** O.O I'm really sorry this chapter took so long for me to write! This chapter made me so sad! Maya is such a strong willed girl. I do admit, she has to be one of my favorite OC's that I've ever created. She has such life and fervor, but yet she still holds that sadness from her past deep inside of her. To think, Shuichi was the one who stopped her from committing suicide two years ago. Do you think she'll try to do it again if he decides to leave? Will someone be able to fill the emptiness in her heart that Shuichi was unable to fill? Well, anyway, the next chapter is going to be a showdown between Yuki and Shuichi. Will Shuichi finally listen to what Yuki has to say and take his word for it…even forgive him? Find out in the next chapter of _As Time Goes By!_


	8. Reconnecting

**As Time Goes By**

**Disclaimer:**I am a poor, struggling college student and cannot afford a lawsuit on my hands. All credit goes to the creator of Gravitation: Maki Murakai.

(Note: Dialogue key:)

-In English or languages familiar to both speakers.

-_Character thoughts/recalling of memories_

-_**x**__Sudden switch of language__**x**_

_Chapter 8_

**Reconnecting**

Shuichi sighed as he stepped out of the steamy shower, wrapping the towel around his waist as he ran a hand through his wet hair. He approached the sink where the mirror was clouded with steam and he wiped a hand across it to rid it of the steam, his reflection peering back at him on the other side. As he stared back at his reflection, Shuichi narrowed his brows over his eyes, the amethyst gleaming against the fluorescent lighting of the bathroom.

In a couple of hours, Shuichi would be meeting with Yuki and on _his_ terms. The last thing he wanted to do was to give Yuki any leeway in deciding when, where, and _how_ they were going to discuss their past issues. They were going to be meeting at a ritzy hotel restaurant and having a peaceful meal. After all, the young singer had grown out of throwing tantrums in public anymore. If anything, he wanted to talk to Yuki as a man; as an adult; as someone who couldn't, and would never, be looked down upon ever again by the likes of this popular novelist known as Eiri Yuki.

Shuichi exited the bathroom, not sure just what he wanted to wear for his little "reunion" with Yuki. Sure, he wanted to dress to impress, but not to where it would give Yuki any indication that he wanted to get back together with him. This was simply business. He wanted to discuss just what the hell happened that night and why he managed to fuck up a seemingly decent relationship. After discarding the towel and putting on his favorite pair of silk boxers, Shuichi made his way to his closet and sifted through some of his clothes in hopes of finding a suitable outfit while thinking of "ritzy hotel," hoping to match the style.

His eyes fell on his black suit, the one he wore in the photo with Yuki after they'd just left a fancy western restaurant back in Japan. A tiny smile crept up on his face as his fingers caressed the red silk dress shirt that was under the single breasted suit jacket. Even the accessories he wore with the suit were hung on the neck of the hanger. Deciding that this would be the outfit that he was going to wear, Shuichi pulled out the suit and began to put it on. He relished the feeling of the silk shirt against his skin and proceeded to put on the slacks, remembering the pleasant memories that came with this suit. As he slipped the jacket over his shoulders and buttoned the cuffs of his shirt, he put the Roman cross necklace around his neck and adjusted the tie to hang down just below the two buttons he left unbuttoned on his red dress shirt.

Shuichi looked in the mirror, running a hand through his blonde and ebony streaked hair. His amethyst eyes glowed with anticipation as he began to wonder just how this night was going to be. For better or for worse, he would try and hear Yuki's side of the story. If things seemed like they were going to get out of control, he would do the adult thing and leave on the spot.

* * *

Yuki sighed as he let his hands go into the pockets of his black slacks while waiting patiently for Shuichi to arrive. Granted, the novelist had arrived nearly twenty minutes early for their meeting, but he couldn't hide the anxious feeling he was having. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but Yuki couldn't help but wonder if this meeting was going to go the way he had wanted it to. Sure, Shuichi had agreed to meet with him, had agreed to even come and have dinner with him…but that could have meant anything. Perhaps this really was going to be the true farewell he had feared.

Another sigh left his lips as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. _I don't know if I like this idea after all._

"Yuki." an all-too-familiar voice called him.

The novelist turned his head and let his amber eyes fall on the gorgeous visage of his ex-lover, Shuichi Shindou. He was dressed in the almost identical outfit Yuki was wearing at this exact moment. Everything was nearly the same except Yuki wore a royal blue silk shirt instead of a red one. Apparently Shuichi had come up with the same idea to wear the outfit they'd worn at the last date they would ever have together as a couple. A gentle breeze blew against them and Yuki immediately reached up to keep his hair from getting in his line of vision. Shuichi simply let the wind blow his hair in every direction, amethyst eyes indifferent as a cigarette burned from his lips.

A smirk formed on the singer's lips. "Punctual as always I see."

Yuki scoffed. "Well, you're on time for once. Were you hungry or something?"

Shuichi shrugged as he closed his eyes. "No, I just knew how much you would bitch at me if I wasn't on time."

"Hey! Now just wait a mi-" Yuki began, but was cut off by the singer.

"Let me finish my cigarette and we can go inside." Shuichi spoke as he took the final drag of his cigarette and let it drop to the ground, crushing the remains under his shoes.

Yuki held his tongue, letting his anger slowly seethe out of him so as to calm his temper. After all, this meeting wasn't arranged so that they could fight. It was made so that both sides of the story could be told and that perhaps they could come to some sort of agreement between them. This animosity had to stop somewhere.

He followed Shuichi inside of the hotel and towards the restaurant area on the first floor. Yuki then watched as the singer spoke to the host at the doorway, explaining that he had already made reservations and wanted to be shown to his table. The host nodded and proceeded to politely lead Shuichi inside. The singer looked behind his shoulder and nodded toward Yuki for him to follow.

They were seated at a table that was decorated with a nice tri-candle holder, the tablecloth a pretty crimson color. The waiter gestured to the table, stating that they could sift through the menu for a few moments and he would return to get their drink and food order. It was a busy evening. Yuki watched intently as Shuichi turned the page of the menu, his amber eyes taking in all of his former lover's features.

Shuichi's hair was no longer bright pink, but blonde with black streaks through the platinum hair. His amethyst eyes were still just as piercing, but the large and child-like air they once held were no more. They held a more mature and slightly arrogant luster. The writer couldn't believe how much Shuichi, once proud singer of Bad Luck, was now sitting across from him and part of a new band in San Diego. He wasn't yelling, screaming, creating a scene, or even being bratty. No, Shuichi was calmly sitting there as though he were at a business meeting.

It pissed Yuki off to no end.

"Okay. We need to talk, Shuichi." Yuki spoke, noting the singer's eyes flick up for a second to look at him.

"Then talk. I'm listening."

Yuki sighed. "About that night…I know I was wrong. I won't even use the excuse of being drunk out of my mind to back up my actions-"

"Good." Shuichi cut in, closing the menu. "Because we _both_ know that I really don't care to hear that as being your reasons for cheating on me."

"Why can't you understand why I did it?"

Shuichi arched a brow at him. "Why? Are you really asking me to understand your actions of screwing around with a woman behind my back?"

The waiter approached and took their meal and drink orders, bowing as the two males handed him their menus. It seemed even the waiter was getting on edge with the intensity of the air between Shuichi and Yuki.

Yuki sipped his water, deciding to wait for his steak to arrive before drinking his wine. "Shuichi, would you just listen to me?"

The singer arched a single blonde brow before sighing slowly. "Okay oh great and honorable Yuki Eiri, enlighten me as to why I should condone your actions to have been appropriate?" said Shuichi, the sarcasm practically dripping from his words.

The novelist tried his best to ignore him. "Shuichi…at that time, you and I were drifting further apart. I had been working non-stop on my two books and you were busy putting a new album together with Bad Luck." he said, looking down at his empty plate. "Bad Luck was becoming more prominent in the music industry…you guys weren't going to remain Industrial forever. Soon you, Hiro, and Fujisaki were going to be touring across Japan to further spread your influence in the world of music and my writing career was slowly growing as well…" Yuki paused, letting his deep amber eyes move up to stare back into the amethyst orbs that were gazing on him. "Our relationship, what we had, I figured it was going to dissolve over time and so…to prevent you from any kind of pain you would have to shoulder in the future, I committed a great sin against you. Had I known that it would be the source of greater harm to you than good, I would never have done it. Forgive me, Shuichi."

The silence was long; deafening. Yuki didn't know if Shuichi was going to be able to respond in a way that would be appropriate for this atmosphere. The writer looked intently at the singer, waiting for some kind of response. But none came. Nothing. Just silence from the singer; the soft classical music and clatter of dishware resounding all around them. There wasn't much that could have kept Yuki stabilized like he was, but to outsiders, he was a stone visage.

If only they knew how rapidly his heart was beating at this very moment.

"Forgive you? Is that what you said?" replied Shuichi finally after what felt like an eternity. The singer shook his head and chuckled, but the humor that was supposed to accompany the gesture was nonexistent. "You really are a big joke, Yuki Eiri."

The waiter returned with their dishes and set them on the plates before them; exiting promptly like he should for he had seen the expression on Shuichi's face. Who could blame him for wanting to make a hasty retreat?

"Shuichi…I know it was wrong and-"

"Shut. Up." came the harsh whisper from Shuichi's lips. "Don't you say not one more word to me."

Yuki bit his lower lip gently, waiting for Shuichi to pass his judgment upon him. It was time. There was no other excuse he could deliver other than the fact that he had broken Shuichi's heart in a way that he had hoped would drive the singer to forget about him and pursue his goal and dream to become a world famous singer. However, he didn't expect Shuichi to abandon Bad Luck and escape to another country. Hell, there were tons of things he hadn't expected. Like how the Shuichi sitting across from him was practically a polar opposite of the Shuichi Shindou he once knew.

"Let me get one thing straight," Shuichi replied slowly as his orbs narrowed at Yuki. "You're telling me that you stabbed me in the back because you thought you were going to be shackles holding me from my future? That since our lives were already so busy, you decided to destroy what precious meaning our relationship had so that we could walk away from it comfortably?" Suddenly, a dark smirk spread across the singer's lips and it sent a chill like lightning to shoot down Yuki Eiri's back. "Give me a break. Who the hell do you think you are to make such a decision on your own without even taking into consideration how I felt about it? What right did you have to do that?"

Yuki sighed, picking his fork against his steak on the plate. "I'm not asking you to understand my actions. I'm asking for your forgiveness…and that if you're willing, I want to try and fix what I have broken."

Shuichi snorted, stabbing his fork through the sliced bit of potato and then stuffing it into his mouth before taking a long sip from his glass of water. "Fix what you've broken? Ha! The damage has already been done so there's no need to try and _fix_ anything. And I suppose I could forgive you for what you did to me back then. In fact, I should be _thanking_ you for your insensitive actions toward me and destroying what we had."

The novelist blinked his amber eyes at Shuichi who was slowly cutting his steak and shoveling it into his mouth. "What do you mean by that?"

"I now know what it means to be a real bastard and I also know that I don't need you like I thought I did in the past. In fact, I've never felt so free in my life."

Yuki felt the dagger of guilt being plunged into his heart. However, he knew that he had no right to feel anything but the pain of guilt rake at his being. "Shuichi-"

"I've realized that while being with you, I felt out of control with who I was…like there was some part of me that I had to keep suppressed inside. Then again, I suppose it was because I loved you." Shuichi took a few more bites of his steak before sipping on his wine and then tossing some of his hair from his face. "But now, I'm not so sure that we would be able to pick up where we left off before."

"Shuichi…I'm still Yuki."

"But I'm no longer the Shuichi you remember."

"That doesn't matter to me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Shuichi quirked his brow curiously at Yuki who tried to keep up his poker face as best he could. Needless to say, the singer finished the last bit of his steak before cleaning his mouth up with his napkin cloth. "We'll see about that."

* * *

Shuichi waited until Yuki was completely fast asleep by his side before attempting to stir in the bed at all. The feeling of Yuki's bare skin against his own after such a long time caused a wave of emotions to flood all through the singer's mind and heart. During the whole escapade, Shuichi had put up a good, aggressive front and matched the same pace with the novelist who had once been his former lover. Before, Yuki had always been the one in control while Shuichi had been the submissive and benign partner. But that night, the roles had been tossed back and forth and there were times were Shuichi had lost himself in the passion so much that he almost allowed the old Shuichi Shindou to return.

Now, here he was, lying next to his old lover and while the novelist slept soundly next to him, sleep eluded Shuichi with each creeping hour slipping by silently. The idea of having sex with Yuki again both excited and frightened Shuichi. He was determined to show Yuki that he would and could feel nothing with him once they had simply ravished each other's bodies with the heat of their passion. Shuichi had clearly felt the emotions of Yuki practically dripping onto him amidst the entire act while he had displayed no feelings other than pleasure to the writer's advances.

Oh the things that Yuki had managed to teach him while not actually being present to teach.

Shuichi gingerly removed Yuki's arm from off his chest and slipped out of the bed quietly. He picked up his boxers that had been tossed off to the wayside and pulled them on before grabbing his pack of cigarettes and lighter and made his way to the nearby sitting chair on the other side of the bedroom. There was a small table beside the chair with an ashtray placed on it and Shuichi sank into the chair while lighting his cigarette.

The bright, reddish-orange fire at the end of the cigarette burned silently in the darkness as Shuichi's eyes adjusted to the blackness that enveloped the room. The singer watched Yuki sleeping quietly, his eyes narrowing as he continued to puff away on his smoke. However, when he went to run his hand through his blonde hair, two single tears spilled from his eyes as he kept vigil on Yuki Eiri's sleeping form.

For a long moment, Shuichi continued to just watch Yuki sleep before he let his eyes move away from the novelist and down to the floor. His heart thumped so hard that he could practically hear it pounding in his ears and feared that it would rouse Yuki from his slumber. But, the writer remained sleeping where he was; unmoving and at peace.

Shuichi wept. Silently.

* * *

**Author's Note:** o.O Wow…this chapter took way too long. Lol. Sorry about that and again, I apologize for the wait. So, what did you guys think of this chapter? It actually kinda made me cry at the end. You see Shuichi trying to put up this front that he doesn't actually give a damn about Yuki, but amidst the silence and shroud of darkness, Shuichi can't hide his feelings from himself no matter how much he tries to hide it from everyone else. So what's going to happen now? Will Shuichi try to start over with Yuki or will he keep the mask of indifference on his face forever? Also, what's going on with the members of **Falter** and will something blossom between Christian and Maya? Find out in the next chapter of _As Time Goes By!_ See you then!


	9. Everybody Loves Me

**As Time Goes By**

**Disclaimer: **I am a poor, struggling college student and cannot afford a lawsuit on my hands. All credit goes to the creator of Gravitation: Maki Murakai for the original characters of the show. All OC's not related to Gravitation are copyrighted to myself seeing as how they are, in fact, my own creation. Any similarities to other characters/people, real life or fictional, is completely coincidental. Also, the lyrics used in this chapter are credited to OneRepublic. I used the song "Everybody Loves Me" specifically for this chapter as a song that Shuichi "wrote," but that is not the case. But the lyrics are something I see Shuichi writing. However, when I write the lyrics for his actual song that he does in Japanese, those will be my own original lyrics that I have him writing. XD Anyway, enjoy!

(Note: Dialogue key:)

-In English or languages familiar to both speakers.

-_Character thoughts/recalling of memories_

- _**x**__Sudden switch of language__**x**_

_Chapter 9_

**Everybody Loves Me**

"Uh…Benny?"

"Yeah?"

"…how many times has Christian been opening and closing his cell?" asked Russell as he closed the cap on his bottle of water.

"I'd say about ten—no, now eleven times."

Christian stood from his stool, guitar slung casually against his hip as he ran a hand through his blonde and red streaked hair. Biting his lower lip in thought, he opened and shut his cell once more before whirling on his heels and pressing the palms of his hands against his forehead. Why was this so complicated? It was just one phone call!

"Chris."

_Falter_'s lead guitarist turned to face James as he entered through the studio door. James propped his bass against the wall by the booth's door. A gentle smirk played on his lips as he watched Christian; shaking his head as he quirked a brow at him. "Just call her, dammit," James said, placing a gentle smack on Chris's shoulder. "It won't kill you if she says no or yes."

Christian frowned, brows furrowing as he shoved his phone into his pocket. "Let's get back to practice."

Benny pointed his drumstick toward the ceiling. "News flash, genius. Ken isn't exactly present in case you missed that little detail."

The guitarist ignored the drummer and began to strum some chords on his guitar anyway. "That doesn't mean we still can't practice. So get your asses in gear!"

Suddenly the door to the studio burst open and in came a practically breathless Ken Davis. His blonde and black hair clung to his forehead as the sweat was viewable even from the members of the group on stage. Once he'd caught his breath, he saluted to the guys and they all greeted him accordingly. Russell tossed their lead singer a bottle of water and Kenneth gratefully twisted the cap off and drained half the bottle in four long gulps.

After he'd gotten his second wind did he finally look up at the group with apologies encompassing his amethyst eyes. "Man guys, I am _so sorry_ for running late!"

James shook his head back and forth, laughing lightly as he ran his fingers through his bangs. "It's all right, Ken," he reassured, smirking as he strapped his bass to him and plucked around on the thick strings. "Besides, Chris has been fighting with the decision of whether to call Maya or not."

Kenneth looked at the crimson-streaked blonde and quipped his brow curiously at the lead guitarist. "Call her? For what, Chris?"

Christian angrily popped a cigarette into his mouth and flicked open his lighter. "It's nothing, Ken," he said, eyes closed but brows furrowed in annoyance. "Let's drop it, hm?"

Russell groaned in exasperation. "For fuck's sake, Chris, just pick up the _freakin' phone_ and call her already! Then maybe, just _maybe_, we can get on with practice." He received curious glances from everyone – all but Christian – and he gently squeezed the bridge of his nose to alleviate a slowly forming headache pressure from building.

"Why don't you invite her out to our gig tomorrow?" inquired Benny as he twirled one of his drumsticks in his hand.

"Yeah, that's a great idea Benny!" chimed in Ken as he turned to look at Christian whose jade eyes were slowly forming into an expression that clearly was questioning all of their sanities. "I mean, I was going to invite her to come out anyway, but I decided not to in case I royally fucked up on stage." The others laughed while Chris let his frown form into a soft smirk. "C'mon, Chris. You're a good guy and I know that you and Maya would get along great! She needs a nice guy like you in her life after all the shit she's been through."

The guitarist let the smoke billow out of his mouth as some of his bangs fell to cover one of his eyes. "Are you sure you're all right with it, Ken?"

"Tch," scoffed Ken, winking at the male. "Come on, Chris. You know how much I love Maya. Would I _really_ tell you to take her out if I wasn't okay with it?" He finished off the remainder of his water and lit a smoke soon after, taking a well-needed drag. "I may like you, but I'm not a fuckin' tool, man."

Christian scoffed back while pulling out his cell phone from his back pocket. "All right then," he said, scrolling through the phone and dialing for Maya's mobile. A few short rings and she finally answered on the other end. "Hey Maya, it's Christian…what's up with you? … Nothing? Well that sounds boring. … not much going on here, we're taking a break from rehearsal right now." He listened to her on the other end and laughed as he looked at Kenneth. "No, he got here on time. Thanks for tossin' his ass out the house to make it out here." Ken stuck his tongue out at the guitarist and proceeded to make his way toward Russell and James to go over some sheet music he'd been playing around on. Benny signaled that he was going to the restroom and began 'drumming' the tips of his sticks on against his shoulders. "Say, Maya? What're you doing tomorrow? The guys and I are having our first gig tomorrow night as a new group and I was wondering if you'd like to come out and support us? Maybe I could take you out afterwards and hang out? … You would? That's great. Well, Ken knows where the place is at so I guess you can catch a ride with him. … All right then, sounds like a plan. … See ya."

As he closed the phone, Christian stared at the object in his hand – not really seeing it. A grin began to form on his face slowly and he was soon lost in his own thoughts. After what felt like only two or three minutes, Chris noticed that the room was strangely quieter than it had been while he was on the phone. Looking around, he saw the three males looking at him with wide eyes which, after he'd made eye contact, transformed into gazes of mischief. Soon a chorus of "Ooo's" left their lips and the guitarist promptly flipped them off.

"Hardy fucking har, guys," he said, jade eyes narrowing as Benny came back from the restroom. "Let's get on with practice lest we _all_ look like a bunch of dumbasses on stage tomorrow."

* * *

Yuki bit back the urge to swear violently, restraining himself from tossing his laptop out the window of his apartment. It had been three days since he'd slept with Shuichi that night and aside from attending practices that were held at the studio, he'd not been in contact with his lover before then. Time and time again he'd tried to contact Shuichi through text messages or phone calls, but the younger male was doing his damndest to keep his distance from him. The novelist couldn't help but wonder if he'd been played the fool by the former simple-minded Shuichi Shindou.

It aggravated him to no end.

"Damn that Shuichi." Lighting a cigarette in an attempt to calm his nerves, Yuki had barely registered that his cell phone was going off. Without bothering to look at the caller ID, he answered the phone angrily as smoke billowed from his mouth and nostrils. "Eiri Yuki speaking."

"_**x**__Hello Eiri-san.__**x**__"_

"Tohma?" he asked, taking another drag and flicking the ash into the tray nearby. "What is it _now_, Tohma?" Pausing, he closed his amber eyes for a moment. "And if this is about telling me to come back to Japan, forget it. I'm not coming back without Shuichi."

Tohma sighed on the other end of the line. _"You truly are relentless about this issue with Shindou-san, aren't you?"_ There was some noise in the background, like the shuffling of feet, before Yuki heard a door close quietly. _"Eiri-san, you _do_ know that just because you slept with Shindou-san after all these years doesn't mean things have resolved themselves? Has his behavior toward you changed at all?"_

"…" Yuki's blonde brows furrowed in annoyance.

Another sigh soon followed. _"As I suspected."_

"Shut it, Tohma," muttered Yuki as he smothered the cherry of his smoke into the base of the ashtray. "I'll be seeing Shuichi tonight at _Falter_'s performance for his debut. Have no doubt, Shuichi _will_ be coming back with me to Japan or so help me."

"_I don't see why you're trying to reassure _me_ of his return to Japan. K, Fujisaki and Hiro are the ones who are having to force their careers to a momentary halt because of Shindou-san's absence, not me."_ The novelist felt his brow twitch at the indifference laced through Tohma's words. _"I _implore you,_ Eiri-san…let Shindou-san be. If not for his sake, do it for yours."_

Not bothering with bidding the male farewell, Yuki shut his cell closed and tossed it carelessly on his desk. Staring at his computer, he noticed that the screen saver was active and soon a slideshow commenced. Slowly pictures of Shuichi began to appear across the screen – some with Yuki in the shot. But most of them were all of Shuichi either on stage performing, sleeping, eating ice cream, or even caught on camera in a drunken stupor with the other members of _Bad Luck_. Leaning forward, Yuki let his fingers gently caress the screen just as a close-up of Shuichi popped up. The child-like gleam in his amethyst eyes seemed like such a distant memory that Yuki couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever see those eyes ever again.

* * *

"Maya! Maya over here!"

Maya looked through the throng of people that had come to see _Falter_ perform downtown. Her raven hair was pulled back into a low ponytail off to the side, her bangs free and falling about her cheeks. Hazel eyes attempted to see where the voice as calling from, but because of all the noise and activity around her, she had a hard time discerning not only where the voice was coming from, but _who_ was calling out for her in the first place.

"Where are you?" she called out, pushing her way through a group of scantily clad fan girls while her eyes continued to move in every direction to find the person summoning her.

"Over here! Look over their heads."

Maya stood on her tip toes, her Chucks scraping along the concrete as she strained her neck to see some movement that stood out from the crowd. Pulling her white bolero jacket closer toward her body as a chill wind pushed against her, she noted that there was a hand waving frantically at her. Seeing the jet mop of hair just above a group of people, she sighed in relief to know that it was Benny trying to get her attention. The others must have talked the drummer into going out into the midst of that madness to go meet her. Smiling and shaking her head, Maya pushed her way carefully through the audience and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Benny grinning playfully at her.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled at the hem of her burgundy baby rocker-t before shoving her hands into the pockets of her dark blue jeans. "This crowd is wild!" she said in mid-laughter.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Benny said, scratching at the side of his nose before dabbing at his forehead with his black cotton wristband. He wore a simple black and white t-shirt with HIM's heartagram across the front, a pin-striped vest worn over the shirt. Faded gray jeans ripped at one of the knees adorned his lower half and while one of the pant legs were rolled up to the knee, the other lay like it was supposed to be worn – black and white checkered sliders decorating Benny's feet. "I told Ken to tell you to come while we were getting set up so you could avoid this _nightmare_, but he insisted that you would be bored during set-up and wanted to surprise you as well."

Maya laughed, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "Well, I doubt I would have been bored, but I definitely am glad that the surprise wasn't spoiled for me. How long before you guys are on?"

Reaching for his hand as he offered it for her, Benny lead her toward the side of the stage where it was less noisy and a bit more private. "Give it another thirty minutes, give or take."

"Well, don't you need to go so you can prepare?"

"Yeah, probably. I was just sent out here to make sure you made it all right." Benny paused, his ebony hair falling over one of his pale blue eyes. "Anyway, I should be heading back. You're going to be fine out here on your own right?"

She nodded, hazel eyes sparkling with excitement. "Of course! You guys have a great show and I'll be cheering for you all the way!"

Smiling, Benny bid his farewell to Maya and took off toward where she assumed the others were getting their last minute bits of practice in. Turning as a few of the fans of _Falter_ began to grill her on what her relation was with the group, how she knew them, so on and so forth, Maya felt an invisible sweat drop form over her head after finally being "freed" when the girls deemed that she had no sort of intimate relationship with _Falter_'s drummer. She was able to escape, grateful for the reprieve, and she looked at the stage – feeling the smile tug at her lips once more as she anticipated the boys' performance.

"I see you decided to come out for the show, Miss Kinsburrow," came the rich, baritone voice from behind her.

Whirling her head around, her hazel eyes looked up only to be stared down at by the piercing amber orbs that belonged to Eiri Yuki. His blonde bangs brushed up against his forehead gently as another soft breeze passed through the air. He wore a rich, plumb dress shirt – the buttons undone just below the collar bone – and a black tie pulled loose. An equally jet blazer was worn over the shirt, serving as an accent for the color's boldness. The shirt was tucked into a pair of simple black slacks, a black leather belt with a silver buckle shining in the light while black dress shoes polished to perfection adorned his feet. From head to toe, Eiri Yuki was quite the sight to behold and the gentle whisperings and slightly muffled squeals of girls nearby was proof of that alone.

Maya felt her smile fall as it was instantly replaced with a frown. "And why wouldn't I come out, Mr. Yuki?" she replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "Shuichi is my closest and dearest friend. It would be an insult _not_ to come." Turning away from him, she let her hands rest at her side but felt her thumb playing with the silver fidget ring on her right hand. Biting her lower lip, Maya silently prayed that Eiri Yuki would leave her alone for the rest of the evening – that he would either go away or watch the concert from behind her in companionable silence.

She heard him moving around behind her and, from the sound of it, fiddling with a pack of cigarettes. A few seconds later, Maya heard the soft click of the lighter, as well as the fizzle of the smoke's end, before the next words out of Yuki's mouth nearly caused her to fall over. "One way or another, Shuichi is returning to Japan with me." Slowly Maya craned her neck around to glare up at the older man. "So I suggest you do yourself a favor and start letting go of him. _Slowly._"

"Not a chance," she said through gritted teeth. "I'll let him go when you start showing that you're a lover both worthy and _capable_ of giving him the happiness he deserves. Until then, you can go fuck yourself."

Suddenly the crowd erupted into cheers as the sound of an electric guitar reached them. Maya turned around and saw Christian on stage, cigarette in his mouth and hair pulled back to reveal those awe inspiring jade green eyes of his. He wore a dark red throw over shirt with sleeves that stopped just passed the elbow – black flames soaring up from the hem of the shirt up to his chest. Under this, _Falter_'s lead guitarist wore a simple black shirt with the few buttons undone that lined it on the front below the collar bone. A silver dragon pendant hung from his neck and the shirt stopped just at the edge of where his faded gray jeans began. As he continued to play his solo and smoked his cigarette, Chris propped his foot up on one of the speakers that were on the edge of the stage and if one looked closely, they would see that the black and white Chucks on his feet had Pink Floyd's _Dark Side of the Moon_'s cover printed on them.

The stage lights soon pointed toward Benny as he went crazy on his drums in accompaniment to Christian's playing and after a few moments of glory for the two of them, the bass could be heard and the light shined down on James Kidder. His hair was worn loose save for the pea green bandana on his head that was folded to resemble a headband, his bangs no longer a hindrance from him showing off those stormy gray pools that were his eyes. Clad in a golden brown zip up hoodie, a white t-shirt with a single red stripe going across the mid-section, James let a black and silver studded belt rest loose along his hips just on the outside of his timber green cargo pants – a pair of brown and white DC shoes peeking out just below the hem of his bottoms. White bandaging was wrapped around both of his forearms and he swayed his head back and forth just as the second guitar blared across the crowd out of nowhere.

Russell rocked his head to each intense chord that rang out from his instrument – his mouse brown hair free – and again the crowd went wild. His attire for the evening was a simple dusty blue blazer over an equally plain white dress shirt. However, only two of the buttons were done while the rest of the shirt hung loose and free, revealing a good portion of Russell's skin to the crowd. Maya had been told that out of the entire group, Russell was the one more up for giving the crowd their dose of fan service without coming off as too flashy. He showed just enough skin to where the girls could see his toned abs and the rest was left up to the imagination. His black jeans hugged his hips generously, a silver wallet chain clipped on one of the belt loops as the rest of it draped over his hip toward the back and on his feet were a pair of blue and white tennis shoes. Winking his dark brown eyes at a group of girls huddled near the stage, one of them began screaming until she collapsed on the ground. Maya simply rolled her eyes and waved.

As if the crowd didn't already know that this was the introduction bit that announced _Falter_'s presence on stage without actually speaking, Maya and the rest of the audience waited with bated breath as the vocalist of the group's presence was still a mystery. And just when the crowd couldn't take the suspense anymore, a baritone-tenor voice cut through the sky that caused the entire crowd of males and females alike to gasp in shock. The voice sang no words just yet, but continued to just ad-lib here and there to the music as it ripped through the night.

A few seconds later, Kenneth stepped into the spotlight – microphone in hand and the crowd lost their minds. Dressed in a faded navy Henley-t, Ken left the placket of buttons undone to reveal a tangerine colored long-sleeved shirt underneath with the edge of the sleeves reaching just to the center of his hand. His jeans were loose and pale blue with deep front pockets where the seams reached just to the middle of his thighs, a pair of dark blue and white Pumas gracing his feet. Kenneth opted for no jewelry save for his silver hoop in his left ear and a large silver ring on his right index finger.

Once the intro concluded, the crowd cheered and whistled and the boys waved to them – smiles plastered on their faces. Kenneth walked across the stage, shaking hands with people near the stage before standing straight and looking at all the faces he could until his amethyst eyes fell on Maya. "How're you doing tonight, downtown San Diego!" The crowd cheered as Ken spoke and his smile broadened. "That's what I wanted to hear! Well, as you guys know, we are _Falter_, and while I'm sure you all know the faces here, I would like to introduce us to those who aren't familiar with our group." He paused as the crowd cheered once more and Kenneth chuckled. "Then again, you guys don't know me at all, do ya? But we'll get to that later. First up, on lead guitar is Chris Palmer. Definitely a gentleman with a heart of gold!" And on cue, Christian waved and smiled to everyone in the crowd, his green eyes falling on Maya and he winked at her.

"Next is Benny Rhodes on drums! The laid back one in the group, he's single ladies so be sure to bombard him with fan mail after the show." Benny rolled his sticks on the drum and splashed the cymbal before clapping his sticks together. "Our band leader, bassist James Kidder, is the link that keeps us all together. Without him, we'd be royally fucked. After all, we definitely aren't responsible enough to take care of all the business transactions like studio time, rental space, as well as that crazy ass electricity bill we rack up at the end of the month!" James thumbed a few notes on his bass as the audience laughed and cheered, a string of "I love you Kidder" echoing amongst the crowd. "And on rhythm guitar is Russell 'The Ladies' Man' Williams!" Kenneth leaned forward, cupping his hand over the mike like he were whispering even though Russell could hear everything. "And when I mean that he's a lady's man, I really mean he's a lady killer. He'll break your heart, girls, so just watch yourselves."

Maya laughed as Russell gave Ken the "bird" and the singer merely blew a kiss at the guitarist. "And well, I'm the new face around here. Kenneth Davis, _Falter_'s new vocalist, but you guys can call me Ken. Even though it's been a rough road getting to this point, I hope you guys like what I have to offer." The crowd went nuts, screaming and whistling at him and he winked, causing another throng of girls to scream and squeal in delight. Maya glanced over her shoulder and saw the disapproving expression etched onto Yuki's face and she couldn't help but inwardly praise Ken's ability to dish out his own flavor of fan service. Surely even _he_ knew that Eiri Yuki was in the crowd now, didn't he? "I just have one question for you guys. Does everybody love me yet?" More screaming ensued and Kenneth pumped his fist into the sky, yelling his own approval to the positive reaction of the crowd. "This song that we're getting ready to perform for you all is my own personal declaration to those who have always stepped all over me, taken advantage of me, or felt like I was worthless in their eyes. It's my message to them, and to the world, that I am no longer the person I used to be. And guess what?" The crowd screamed back 'what' on cue and Kenneth laughed hard. "I don't give a fuck! Hell yeah! Go Benny, go!"

Benny started on the drums and soon after came Christian, Russell, and James with strong acoustic accompaniment. While the whole speech was going on, Chris and Russell had been switching out their electrics for their acoustic guitars that could still be hooked up to the amplifiers. Benny's bass drum hits were heavy in Maya's chest and she couldn't help but bob her own head back and forth to the rhythm of the beat. She caught Christian's eye and he smiled at her and too caught up in the moment, Maya blew a kiss at him – mouthing a "thanks" and "good luck" – before Shuichi's voice filled the air with the lyrics of his song. The lyrics were goofy and didn't make sense to a degree, but his voice was well-balanced and easy on the ears – a well balanced range that gave him power and highlighted his strengths. It wasn't until Shuichi arrived at the bridge of the song did Maya know instantly that her best friend had written the song as a slap in the face to his former lover, Eiri Yuki.

"_Don't need my health_

_Got my name and got my wealth_

_I stare at the sun_

_Just for kicks all by myself_

_I lose track of time_

_So I might be past my prime_

_But I'm feeling oh so good_

_YEAH!_

_Oh my _

_Feels just like I don't try_

_Looks so good I might die_

_All I know is: Everybody loves me!_

_Get down_

_Swaying to my own sound_

_Flashes in my face now_

_All I know is: Everybody loves me!"_

_

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_**Author's Note:** Yes, I know. T_T The long awaited chapter is finally up and I apologize for not having gotten this up sooner. I don't know if this is a progression chapter, but I kinda feel like it is mostly because it's taking the drama off of Shuichi and Yuki for just a moment. And it's introducing a possible relationship starting between Maya and Christian. And –laughs- I finally gave the rest of my damn characters last names! I'm such a horrible writer. Anyway, I've been on a OneRepublic kick the past couple of days and I thought this song would be a great way to close the chapter. Shuichi isn't going to make things easy for Yuki. But then again, I don't think you, my readers, would love my story as much if it were that easy, would you? Please let me know what you think and look forward to the next installment of _As Time Goes By_! I promise it won't be two years by the time I update again. See ya!


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